Who We Really Are
by Kawaii uke27
Summary: Ventus only wants someone to like him for who he is, not who he pretends to be. He and his friends suffer within the school society that prevents them from being themselves. However, one school project may just be the answer to their problems. VanVen, Akuroku, Soriku, and TerAqua. Reviews are greatly appreciated and loved dearly. Rated M for violence, language and sex.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Just so it's clear, this story includes VanVen, Akuroku, Soriku, and TerAqua. I thought of this randomly one night and figured I'd write it. Also, POV (Point of views) are of Ventus. Review and tell me if you liked it, please!~ Disclaimer: I do not own kingdom hearts

Monday..the cursed day of the week. I couldn't stand them, especially if it's the first day of school. First days usually meant meeting people. I shuddered just thinking about it. I don't exactly dislike people, but rather how I act around them. It's like I have to put up a front to fit in with others. My only friends, Sora and Aqua seem to get it.

My brother doesn't have to do anything or be someone he's not; he's just someone everyone likes. I don't get how he has so many friends; he's slightly rude and just says what he's thinking. I glanced over towards where he and Sora are walking and talking behind me. I sigh and turn away. If only someone could like who I really was. I grimaced as the school came into view. "Ugh, I might just vomit up my breakfast," I said, my stomach churning. Roxas smacked me in the head, making me wince. "Quit complaining. Be happy you go to school," he scolded.

I scowled; I'd broken character. Abruptly, I plastered a grin on my face and turned my head to him. "Yeah, you're right, Roxas," I said, adding a sheepish tone. My brother nodded in approval and continued his conversation with a rather amused Sora. I lost the grin as soon as I turned away. 'And so the cycle continues. I could get an Oscar for my wonderful acting skills,' I thought. I glanced at Aqua, who walked with her nose in yet another book. She was almost as good an actor as I was. "Aqua, we're at school," I muttered.

Her blue hair swung into her eyes as she looked up quickly. "Shit," she cursed, shoving the book into her bag. I felt almost sorry for her; she, too, couldn't be herself. Aqua was the type of girl who could kick your ass at video games while reading a book without a second thought. Sadly, the school society wouldn't allow it. She was forced to be a cheerleader and talk like a ditz.

I tapped my temple to gesture for her to remove her glasses. I turned as she gently placed them in their case and slapped on makeup. Sora struggled with keeping himself quiet at school; he was deemed as too annoying and had to remain silent. I knew it took a toll on my poor friend, since he talked almost nonstop out of school. The voices ceased behind me as I opened the door to the school. 'Welcome back to hell, Ven,' I thought.

I went through the day as though I were a robot. My final class, English, was my everyday. I clenched my fists tightly as I went through the door with the other students. 'Great, more boring first day speeches and getting-to-know-yous,' I thought. I instantly moved to the seat in the back near the window. It was my signature place in all my classes. Truly, the only reason I sat there was just to feel the wind on my face; the window was always open due to the constant heat. I loved the smell of the cool wind, especially after it rained.

I was reaching into my bag for my notebook for English, when I felt a pair of eyes on me. I clenched my jaw and lifted the notebook from the bag. I froze, my eyes locking onto the intense gaze of the guy a seat away. He sat in the darkest corner of the room, making his eyes glow. He looked almost exactly like Sora, only with night black hair and golden eyes. A small, barely noticeable smirk played on his lips. I gulped and shifted back into my seat, avoiding looking at him.

I could still feel his burning gaze on me. I nearly collapsed in relief when my friends sat down next to me and behind me. "Oh, thank goodness, you're both in a class of mine. I thought I was going to strangle someone," Aqua whispered softly from behind me. I grinned slightly and spared a small glance towards the guy. He'd looked away and was currently being bullied. "Gonna cut your wrists again, dicktits?" taunted a boy with a beanie. I recognized him to be Seifer, the school's biggest douchepants. I felt anger fill me as no one stood up to defend the guy with the golden eyes.

I was just moving to rise from my seat when the guy opened his eyes. He looked up at Seifer and his eyes flashed. "I suggest you shut up before I silence you myself," he warned, his voice deep and dangerous. I watched as Seifer cocked an eyebrow. "I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that, fuckstick," he said, giving him the finger. He turned and went to his seat.

The guy with the golden eyes closed his eyes and pulled his sleeves down to cover his arms. I looked away quickly as he glanced at me. "Shut up, you idiots!" our teacher said, leaning forward on his desk. I turned my attention to the man standing at the front of the room. His hair was bright pink and flowers decorated his desktop. Harsh laughter was abruptly silenced as the teacher's demeanor changed. His eyes darkened and a furious snarl curled on his lips. "SILENCE!" he roared.

The entire class hushed. The teacher regarded the class coolly. "My name is Mr. Marluxia, and I don't take shit from my students, understand?" he said. As one, the class nodded. He nodded sharply and turned on his heel to the board. I could already feel my eyes begin to droop. "Boring you, am I, Mr. Strife?" Mr. Marluxia said without turning away from the board. I sat up straight, in surprise. "N-no, sir," I stammered. I blushed in embarrassment as the class snickered.

"Alright, dipshits, your first assignment is a twelve page essay on the person I assign you with," Mr. Marluxia snapped, turning briskly to face us. I joined the class in the large groan. "Shut up, deal with it. Now then, here are the partners," he said, slipping on reading glasses as he peered onto a clipboard. I couldn't resist rolling my eyes, though I made sure no one was looking. The list went on and on. Aqua was paired with a muscly guy with brown hair that stuck up in the back while Sora was paired with a silver haired guy with bluish green eyes. I glanced at Roxas's partner, Axel. He was the tallest guy in the class, with spiky red hair and tattooed upside down teardrops under his eyes. He seemed delighted to be paired with my brother. Roxas, on the other hand, looked like a deer in headlights.

I snickered to myself and looked out the window as the wind blew softly. "Ventus and Vanitas," Mr. Marluxia continued, his eyes scanning the clipboard. I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion; I didn't know who Vanitas was. I was about to ask when Seifer laughed harshly. "You got paired with the cute one, cuntsicle," he jeered towards the back of the room. I barely acknowledged that he'd called me cute; I was too busy looking at the guy with the golden eyes. He didn't seem to notice Seifer; his eyes were on mine. I gave a little half smile and turned away, my head swimming. 'So..I'm paired up with that guy. Vanitas, huh?' I thought.

The day was calm after that. Mr. Marluxia explained that you were to get to know your partner and write down everything you learned in a twelve page essay, front and back. You were responsible for getting the project done, along with other assigned work, by the end of the year. I chewed the end of my pencil nervously. The bell rang and I let out the breath I'd been holding. "Ven, we were thinking we could split up with our partners this afternoon. What do you think?" Aqua asked suddenly appearing in front of me. I blinked several times, not focused. Before I could respond, she waved our partners over.

I felt as though my heart were about to burst out of my chest as Vanitas walked over, cautiously, with the other two guys. She explained the plan to the others but I was engulfed in my thoughts. "Sound good, Ven?" she said, her voice high and stupid sounding. I shook myself and nodded. Aqua smiled and ruffled my hair. I frowned and lightly smacked her hand away. "Well, let's go. See you later, Ven," she said, walking away with her partner.

Sora waved at me then went with his partner shyly. I gulped and stood shakily. "U-um, Vanitas, right?" I asked as he walked beside me on our way out the door. He looked at me and nodded. I bit my lip and looked down at my feet. He was silent as he walked with me. "Sorry that you're paired up with me," I blurted. Vanitas blinked and tilted his head, a confused look on his face. "Why are you saying sorry?" he asked. I felt a shiver run down my spine. "Well, I-I'm not good at getting to know people. I just...people just don't like me," I said.

Vanitas frowned and looked straight ahead. "We're both screwed then. People don't like me either," he said. I smiled slightly then laughed. Vanitas shot a look towards me and raised a pierced eyebrow. "What's funny?" he asked. I shrugged and glanced up at him. "Good thing we're partners, huh?" I said. He was confused for a moment then smiled slightly. I felt my foot tangle with my other one and fell forward. I felt his hand grip my elbow and I stumbled back into a walk.

"Eh heh heh, well that is one thing to write down about me. I'm super clumsy," I said, laughing in nervous embarrassment. Vanitas chuckled slightly, his hand sliding from my arm. I realized that we were already out of the school and were nearing my house. "Oh, finally, I'm away from that hellhole," I muttered. Vanitas laughed, the sound making me jump in surprise. "Uh, sorry. It's just that what you said was funny," he said, ducking his head in shame. I nudged him and he looked up at me in shock. "Hey, you can laugh all you want to. We're out of school, so you can be Batman for all I care. Act however you want," I said, my giddiness at being able to be myself making me bold.

Vanitas laughed again and took a cigarette from his pocket. I eyed it and smiled. He bit his lip and looked away. "You don't mind, do you? I usually have one after school, to calm the nerves, you know?" he explained. I shrugged and glanced up at the sky. I felt the sun warm my face and I closed my eyes. I sighed as the wind blew against my hair. I inhaled the scent of cigarette smoke and felt as though the smell embraced my soul.

"So, how do you want to do this?" I asked, looking over at Vanitas. The cigarette between his teeth, Vanitas had his arms behind his head and was walking casually. He took a long drag and blew the smoke out from his nose. I grinned genuinely and he glanced at me. "Do what?" he asked. I stopped at my house and immediately bit my lip hard. "Um the whole project thing," I said, my eyes fixated on the front door.

Vanitas followed my eyes and shrugged. "Uh, we can chill at your house today then you can come over to mine tomorrow," he said. I nodded and walked breathlessly to the door. I had just placed my hand over the knob when the door swung open. My blood chilled and I stared up at the cold figure standing in front of me. "You're late," my father said.

A/N: So, did you like it? Love it? Hate it? I am writing chapter two in case you all want it. Review, review everyone. Please? =3=s


	2. Distraction

A/N: As promised, chapter two! I'm so thankful for all the reviews. I do hope you keep reviewing too. Anyways, on with the story! Disclaimer: I do not own kingdom hearts.

I took a step back as my father stepped in front of me. "You'd better have a good reason for why you're twenty minutes late," he said, leaning towards my face. I paled; he was livid. I gulped and shifted slightly. "I-I was...the teacher held u-us back to explain t-the project," I said, stammering. Cloud growled and gripped my wrist. I winced and clamped my lips together. "I don't believe you but since you have a friend over, I'll let it slide," he said. I gasped and glanced over at Vanitas. He stood stiffly, his eyes burning.

"Where's your brother?" Cloud asked, his fingers digging into my skin. I forced myself not to squirm and closed my eyes tight. "H-he's at Axel's house! F-for the project," I said, my voice rising from pain. Cloud growled out a sigh and his ice blue eyes flashed to Vanitas. "How long are you planning on staying for?" he said, his voice hard yet polite. Vanitas looked up at him straight in his eyes. "Actually, I was thinking he'd come to my house. Our project is a rather difficult one and we'd hate to bother you with constant questioning. Not to mention that we'll most likely be up most of the night, keeping you up," he said, calmly. Cloud lifted his eyebrows and frowned in thought.

"You make a fair point. Fine. He'll go to your house. When is this project due?" he asked, coolly. Vanitas blinked and tilted his head. I stared at him in shock; he was actually able to talk to Cloud without flinching. "The end of the school year," I said, speaking up. Cloud glared at me then sighed. "How long will you be gone?" he asked. I felt a strange urge of panic. "In all due respect, sir, I think it's best for both Roxas and Ventus to stay with their partners until the project is due," Vanitas said. I gasped and Cloud lost his grip on my wrist.

I could see the dark glint in Cloud's eyes, knowing he was about to kill. "T-think of it this way, Dad. You'll have the house to yourself, all the food, the tv, the computer, everything to yourself without us ruining it for you," I said, thinking fast. Cloud contemplated my words then smiled. I shuddered; his smile was demonic. "Pack your shit and Roxas's then get out," he said, opening the door wider. I nodded quickly and lurched forward. Vanitas followed at my heels, giving my dad a brief nod. I tried to hold back my tears. Even though I was getting away from my father, I was going to stay with this guy I barely knew. I opened the door to my room and went into my closet.

Vanitas was silent, standing awkwardly in the middle of my room. "Hey, um, Ventus?" he asked timidly. I poked my head out from within my closet, my search for the suitcases halted. Vanitas had his hands in his pockets and his head was lowered, as though in shame. "Yes? What's up?" I said, slightly concerned. He shuffled uncomfortably.

"Why do you let your dad treat you like that?" he muttered, kicking the carpet lightly with his heel. I smiled slightly and continued my search. "I am just a nuisance to him. Hell, I'm a nuisance to everyone. People just don't like me as myself. Meaning, I can't be Ventus or people flip shit," I said. Silence. I hesitated, listening intently for his reaction.

I looked back at him and saw that he was standing in front of my window, watching the rain. His sad expression threw me off. "Why must everything be unfair?" he mumbled. I blinked, taken aback. "Um, Vanitas?" I asked, unable to form an answer to his question. Vanitas's entire expression changed. His eyes seemed to darken, his skin paler than usual, his mouth turned down into a small frown. "Sorry. I get it. I'll be quiet," he muttered, getting up and leaving my room before I could speak.

I rapidly threw clothes into the suitcases and then did the same with Roxas's clothes. My mind was swirling. Why did he suddenly change? 'You broke character,' I thought. I smacked myself in the forehead and frowned. 'Dammit, I just had to be myself around him. Of course he'd get upset. Who wouldnt?' I thought. I sighed and started lugging the suitcases down the stairs. Vanitas was sitting on the couch, his hand over his eyes. I opened my mouth to apologize but only a small squeak emerged as my foot tangled with the other. "Oh fuck!" I tumbled head over heels down the steps and landed hard on the tile.

"Ventus! Are you alright?" Vanitas asked, rushing to where I lay sprawled. I groaned in pain and sat up. I felt my head pound and I had blood splatter on the floor. "Ow ow ow," I said licking my bleeding lip. Vanitas sucked in a breath and went into the kitchen. I heard the water run then his footsteps as he came back. He dabbed my lips with the wet washcloth. I flinched. "Sorry," he muttered. I looked up at him and found myself staring. He truly was incredibly handsome. My eyebrows furrowed. 'Wait, handsome? I'm not gay,' I thought. I was about to look away, find something else to look at, when he looked down at me. It was as though all the breath left me.

He smiled slightly and stood. "Your lip needs some ice on it. It'll swell if you don't," he said. His voice was so deep and smooth, like chocolate. I realized what I was thinking and looked away, embarrassed. "Yeah, I-I know that. Thanks," I murmured, getting to my feet. Vanitas gazed at me, with a mild curiosity. Oh, why does he have to look at me? I scrambled for the ice and wrapped it in a paper towel. I pressed it my lips and glared at the floor as I walked back. I reached for the suitcases. "Here, I can take those," Vanitas said, taking the suitcases in his grasp. Our fingers brushed and an almost electric charge shot through my arm. I jumped and let him take it. "T-thanks," I stammered, my cheeks flushed. Dammit, how obvious can you be? I sighed; I just couldn't get into character around him. Vanitas nodded quickly and easily picked up the heavy suitcases.

As we walked out the door, I passed my father. His stare was murderous yet was masked. His stare alone told me that I was going to get the beating of a lifetime once I returned home. I gulped and felt my body throb painfully in reminisce. As soon as the door closed behind us, the panic increased. "How are you going to explain to your parents about my staying with you for a year?" I asked frantically. Vanitas lowered his face, his hair covering his eyes. "You won't need to worry. They won't even notice you're there," he said bitterly. What? I took one look at his face and swallowed the unspoken questions. I wanted to talk more but I didn't know him that well. Besides, he obviously wouldn't want to talk to me. I stared intently at my hands, the silence between us slightly overbearing.

"Oi, Ven, what are you doing with my suitcase?" Roxas said from the house a few feet away. I looked up, startled. His face was flushed and his hair was messed up. "Uh um, D-Dad said we could stay with our partners until the project is due," I said, shifting into my character. Roxas rolled his eyes and clamped his hands over them. "Great. I thought I could escape the damn pyro but now I gotta stay with him for a whole year. Ya hear that, Spiky?" he called sarcastically. A yell of happiness came from the house. Roxas sighed dramatically and came down from the porch to where I stood. "Thanks for getting me my suitcase, Ven. Does that mean you're staying with...him?" he said looking past me at Vanitas. I nodded quickly and gestured to the door. "I think you're partner is waiting for you," I said. Roxas paled and turned to the door. An impatient voice came from the house. "Ugh, alright, I'm coming! Jeez, hope you have better luck with yours," he said rushing back into the house.

I heaved a sigh. I turned back to Vanitas and nearly fell backwards. His eyes were on mine, along with a small frown. "What?" I asked. He raised his pierced eyebrow then cracked a half grin. I blushed furiously as he poked my forehead. "You are a terrible actor," he teased.

A/N: So...I realize the wait was long. Gaaah I'm sorry! I was writing the chapters to different stories. Please forgive me! I don't deserve your praise. *hides in corner under blanket* I'm asymmetric garbageg


	3. Beginning Connection

A/N: I'm so surprised that you actually like this. Thank you all! :) I love the reviews and appreciate everyone who's read this story. Disclaimer: I do not own kingdom hearts ok

Holy hell. I don't know why but I instantly felt sad. I sighed and continued walking. Vanitas seemed confused but followed me. "I know. I hate having to act like that. It's like I become this nerd that can't wait to get to school or to do something nice for someone. I'm not like that at all. I hate school and people avoid me anyway so I don't exactly like them either," I said, my face a mask of melancholy.

Vanitas sighed and I glanced over towards him. He had his hands in his hoodie pockets and was silently staring at the ground near his feet. "I'm sorry for saying that. It's just that I've never seen someone have to shift personalities so quickly before. It's similar for me too. I'm not sure people understand that just because you wear black and have piercings that you're automatically a bad person. Hell, they need to get in their heads that just because their lives are perfect that everyone else's isn't," he said. I watched him in odd fascination; I'd never been able to talk to someone who understood except Aqua and Sora.

He suddenly became really sad. "Shit, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to throw my depressive opinion towards you," he said, ducking his head. I rapidly shook my head and moved closer. "No, please keep talking. I've never talked to anyone who understood what kind of hellhole society is," I said. He looked up at me and grinned.

"Well...alright then. So tell me, Ventus, how would you like to describe society?" he asked, timidly making his voice sound like a reporter. I giggled then straightened up. "I'd say that people are judgemental pricks that always have jealousy stuck up their asses," I said. He laughed and I felt myself smiling genuinely. This was new and I was surprised.

We walked together for a while, talking freely and carefree. I realized I was comfortable with his company. Another surprise. He halted in front of a bright white house with dark red shutters and door. I glanced at him and saw, to my embarrassment, that he'd shifted his face towards me. I blushed and gave him a half grin. He chuckled and pushed open the gate.

He bowed and gestured with his arm the way through. "After you, sir" he said with a cute British accent. I brushed away the 'cute' thought and smiled. "Why, thank you, sir. Such a gentleman," I said in a fairly good mimicry of the British accent. He beamed a smile at me and I had to forced myself not to blush as I walked past him.

He led me to the door and held a hand up, stopping me. Vanitas leaned his ear against the door and listened closely. A torrent of emotions swirled over his face and he cringed away. "Follow me and be quiet," he whispered taking off his shoes. I copied him and followed as quietly as I could. He opened the door silently and waited until I was through before he closed it without a sound. Screaming and angry bangs were coming from the living room and were echoing throughout the house.

"Why can't you just fuck off and die?!" bellowed a booming male voice. An enormous thud sounded, along with a very painful cry. "You good for nothing piece of shit! I wish I'd never met you!" screeched an angry woman. I flinched at the noise but Vanitas sighed. He walked into the living room and stood there until he was noticed. "What the hell do you want?" said the male. I assumed this was his father. There was a powerful slapping sound and a hiss of pain.

"You bastard, don't speak to our son like that," said the woman who I guessed was the mother. Vanitas watched with a blank expression as the two started fighting once more. "My friend is staying with us for a while. He and I have a project together that requires it," he said. His parents dismissed him impatiently with 'whatever' and 'shut the fuck up, can't you see we're talking?'.

I felt my entire body get hot with anger. Vanitas blinked and walked away. He grabbed my hand and tugged me up the stairs. His back shook with dry sobs that were tearless. My heart was about to break. He had to go through this? I tightened my hold on his hand. He threw open a black door and guided me inside. I took in his room and mentally died and went to heaven. Posters of my favorite bands decorated the room, a piano and violin stood in a corner, the bed was a dark mahogany color and the small desk in the corner was filled to the brim with art supplies.

As Vanitas slammed the door, I let out the breath I'd been holding. "I'm in love with your room," I said. He looked around and then at me in relief. "Thank you. I decorated it myself. Glad someone finally appreciates my style," he said. My eyes followed him as he went to the piano. "Do you play?" he asked timidly. I nodded, slightly bashful. He raised an eyebrow playfully and stepped away.

"Come on then. Show me," he said. I bit my lip and shuffled over to sit on the leather piano bench. I felt the smooth keys beneath my fingers and breathed out slowly. "What would you like me to play?" I asked. Vanitas tilted his head and picked up a piece of paper from under his desk. He handed it to me and nodded encouragingly. I hoped I could remember to breathe during the song; he was staring at me so intensely. I gulped and smoothed out the paper.

As soon as my fingers hit the keys, my mind went blank. All I could hear was the beautifully tragic music flowing through the air. I hadn't realized that I was moving with the music until my chest bumped the wood beneath the keys. The song ended and I returned back to reality. I reluctantly moved my hands away from the keys and sighed.

I glanced back at Vanitas and saw that he was lying on his bed, his hand over his eyes. I didn't understand why he was like that. Was it bad? "Um, w-was that okay? I didn't fuck it up, did I?" I asked. He lifted his hand away and wiped the tears away. "Are you fucking kidding? That was the most beautiful version of my song I've ever heard," he said, his voice trembling. My mouth fell open in shock.

"That was your song? You write music?" I asked. Vanitas lunged off his bed and slid a folder from under his bed. "It helps me forget," he murmured. I took the folder without breaking eye contact. There were so many emotions in his eyes. It broke my heart. "I...I think you're a fantastic pianist, Ventus," Vanitas said, looking away. I smiled sadly and looked down at the soft black carpet beneath my feet. "My...my mother taught me. Before she died," I said opening the folder. Music notes dotted the pages. I ran my fingers over them and sighed.

"Ventus?" Vanitas asked suddenly. I looked up and plastered on a smile. "You can call me Ven," I said. Vanitas came over to me and I looked away, afraid he would see my tears. He took my chin softly between his fingers and turned my face towards him. I looked up at him and was drowning in the warmth of his golden gaze when he suddenly bit his lip. His hand fell away from my chin shakily and he squeezed his eyes shut.

"I'm sorry," he said, walking quickly out of the room. I sat there, shocked that I was disappointed. 'What the hell did you think he was going to do? Kiss you? I thought you were not gay,' my subconscious jeered. I could barely acknowledge my thoughts for I was entirely focused on the soft, faint crying coming from the bathroom. I shuffled quietly over to the door and listened. There was a sickening slicing sound then a hiss of what sounded like a sigh of relief mixed with pain. The scent of blood drifted from the door and I looked down. 'He actually does cut himself. Why?' I thought. But I already knew why.

I heard him getting up and scrambled back into his room. I picked up the music and looked them over. Ink splatters decked the margins of the music sheets. I jumped in fright as a scream echoed through the hallway. Vanitas opened the door of the bathroom, looking slightly better. He looked at me and smiled sadly. "I know you were there, Ventus. I could hear you breathing," he said slightly amused. I blushed as he once again called out my poor acting skills. "Geez, I can't even act sneaky without you noticing," I teased. He grinned wryly and flopped down on his bed. He was silent for a moment, his eyes fixed on the ceiling.

"Don't you judge me, Ventus? Aren't you going to say that I need to stop?" he asked. I sighed and placed the music down carefully on top of the piano. I hesitantly clamored onto the bed and laid on my stomach near him. "I don't judge you for cutting. I don't want you to kill yourself but I understand why you do," I said softly. He turned his head towards me and stared at me. I looked down at his bedspread and twiddled my thumbs nervously. "It's like something that makes the pain not as unbearable," I said.

Vanitas turned his body towards me and furrowed his eyebrows. I glanced up at him quickly then looked back down. "People think that you're pathetic and worthless so you want to drive that feeling of agony away with the second strongest emotion you can possess which is pain," I continued. Vanitas took a sharp intake of breath and closed his eyes.

"What's the first strongest, Ven?" he asked. I gulped and shifted so I was facing him. He stared intently down at me, right in my eyes. I smiled shyly and blushed. "Well, it's kinda corny but I think the strongest emotion is love. But it's stupid, right?" I said shaking my head. Vanitas took my face between his hands and pulled me closer. I could feel his warm breath hit me and I bit my lip. "It's not stupid," he whispered before his lips pressed against mine.

A/N: I honestly want to continue this. I'm so glad you all enjoy my writing. This is such a wonderful surprise for me. So again, thanks so much. I'll work on next chapter as fast as I cans.


	4. Abusive Abandonment

A/N: I love how I get to make them fluffy in this chapter. But alas something always goes wrong. Disclaimer: I don't own kingdom hearts or all the boys would be getting down

I couldn't breathe. Vanitas was kissing me. I felt the warmth of his lips pressed against mine, the way they were moving with my own. I didn't realize that I was kissing him back; I was unconsciously doing so. My eyes, previously wide with surprise, closed and I let myself kiss him. It wasn't a rough or sloppy kiss but it was rather gentle and hesitant. I breathed through my nose and inhaled Vanitas's scent. To me, he smelled like hickory smoke and the nighttime wind. God, it was such an intoxicating smell.

I was leaning closer, to deepen the kiss when there was a tremendous banging on his door. Vanitas pulled away and opened the door. His parents stood there, their faces masks of horrifyingly deadly anger. "Your mother and I are leaving. There is food in the kitchen and your godforsaken sister is coming to take care of you," his father hissed through his teeth. I had sat up and now nearly fell back down. Vanitas sighed and nodded sharply. "Yes, sir," he said. His parents left without another word, their voices drifting away. I stared at Vanitas as he simply stood in his doorway, his hand clenching the knuckles were turning white. "Vanitas?" I asked timidly.

He flinched and slammed the door hard enough to make me jump. Dry heaving sobs erupted from him and his head was lowered. I got up and hesitantly touched his back. He whirled around and hugged me tightly. I was taken aback by the sudden embrace and took a step back to steady myself. Unfortunately, I forgot about my extreme case of clumsiness. As my foot tangled up with the other, I grasped Vanitas back. We fell with a soft thud back onto his bed.

I stroked his back as he cried into my neck. I bit my lip hard to stop myself from crying. I tasted blood and mentally cursed myself for not remembering that I'd split my lip earlier. Poor Vanitas. His hands were in my hair and his scent was all around me. 'This is nice. He wants me to hold him,' I thought. He suddenly tensed and shoved himself away. I stared at the ceiling, my heart pounding.

"I-I'm so sorry. I dunno what came over me," Vanitas muttered. I didn't respond much to his confusion. He frowned and his eyebrows furrowed. "Your lip is bleeding again," he said, moving to leave. I sat up and took his shirt in my fingers. He paused and turned his head toward me. "Don't leave. I'm fine really. It doesn't bother me," I said softly. He caught my double meaning and gulped. "Are you sure?" he whispered. My eyes widened at the sudden vulnerability in his voice. I nodded hesitantly and hugged his back, my arms wrapped around his chest. He stiffened rigidly and I went to pull away.

Vanitas turned abruptly and kissed me, hard. I gasped, taken off guard. His tongue slipped timidly into my mouth and curled against my inner cheek. My eyes widened and I couldn't keep up with him. My pocket vibrated and my ringtone burst out. I reluctantly pulled away and pulled my phone from my jeans. I blanched pale as Dad's name blinked on the screen. I gulped and clicked the talk button.

"Hello?" I asked timidly. I could feel the heartbeats pounding painfully in my chest. "You've got twelve minutes to get your cat or I'm going to kill him," Cloud said in a voice that shook my inner core. I felt sweat break out on my brow; I had forgotten about my cat, Neku. "Yes, Dad," I choked. Hanging up, I looked up at Vanitas, who was standing silently. "I-I have to get my cat or my dad will kill him," I said. Vanitas sighed and reached up to brush my hair out of my eyes. "You'd better hurry up then," he said quietly.

I blushed as he simply smirked and tapped my lip with his index finger. "Clean your lip up too, Ven," he teased. My legs felt like they were about to give out; he'd called me Ven. Without warning, a huge goofy grin spread across my face and stayed there until I left his house. I can't seem to get into character around him but maybe just maybe I won't have to. I touched my lips and could remember the tingly feeling that occurred when he kissed me.

'I'm not gay though,' I thought. My eyebrows furrowed and my mouth turned down into a frown. I was contemplating if I were lying to myself when I arrived at my house once more. I gulped then rushed through the door. I automatically called my cat. "Neku! Here kitty, kitty, kitty!" I said. Before I could take another step, I felt something slam into the back of my head. I fell to the floor, my head violently pounding and my vision darkening. Through blurry eyes, I could faintly make out my father's figure, standing over he with a frying pan. I groaned in pain and shakily tried to stand. I felt a sharp kick pound into my rib, knocking me to the floor again.

Hot breath hit the side of my neck as Dad leaned over me. "How dare you come home late then leave with some boy? Do you have any means of respect for me?" he snarled in my ear. I cried out as his fingers gripped my hair. "I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!" I shouted, racked with pain as he began to beat the crap out of me. Dad blinked, taken aback by my apologizing. I slumped to the floor, my head violently pounding painfully and my body throbbing in agony.

Dad stood, shaking. I weakly looked up at him. His eyes were watching me as though I were a crouched lion. "What have I done?" he whispered before running out of the room. I could barely register my shock for the pain was too overpowering. 'I have to get back to Vanitas,' I realized after a moment. I forced myself onto my hands and knees. My eyes stung with tears but I wiped them away angrily. There was no time for crying. A meow came from the living room then an orange ball of fluff bowled into me.

"Neku," I strained, standing with the cat in my arms. His spiky fur brushed against my chin and he looked up at me sadly. I kissed his nose then stumbled forward. I was limping and my breath was heaving in my chest. Pain bolted through my being like lightening. Every step hurt but I continued walking. My lip still bled and was joined by my nose. My chest felt as though it were on fire but I didn't stop. Neku purred and nuzzled my neck gently.

"S-Shit," I cursed softly as my nose continued to bleed. My blood seeped into my shirt. I had taken a single step onto Vanitas's porch when he threw the door open. His golden gaze stared in horror as he took in my beaten state. "Ooh Ventus," he breathed coming forward tentatively. I swayed and Neku jumped lightly from my arms, running into the house. I saw the floor coming towards me then a pair of arms wrapped around me. I was lifted gently and was held against a warm body as I was carried into the house.

Vanitas sighed when he sat me down as gently as he could on the bathroom floor. "Ven, what happened?" he asked. I faintly told him what Dad had done. Rage, burning and dark, gleamed in Vanitas's eyes. I gulped painfully and took in a shaky breath. Rifling through his medicine cabinet, Vanitas took out a first aid kit. I watched him curiously. Wetting a washcloth with water and peroxide, Vanitas kneeled in front of me. As he cleaned and patched my visible wounds, I watched him intently. 'I don't even know you yet you've kissed me and are taking care of me. I don't understand,' I thought. I opened my mouth to ask then shut it and frowned.

I was about to speak and thank him when the doorbell rang downstairs. Vanitas paused, his hand posed over my lip with a cottonball in his fingers. A look of annoyance spread over his face as persistent knocking came from downstairs. "Son of a...," he growled before sighing. Vanitas looked down at me apologetically then stood. "I'll be right back," he promised before stomping from the room in anger. I felt my vision darkening then heard Vanitas open the door downstairs. A female voice drifted to my ears before I passed out, my head slumping to the side.

A/N: Happy holidays everyone! :3 I'm sorry for the long wait but I hope it was worth it. Thanks for reviewing too. Ciao!~kingdom hearts


	5. Changes

A/N: I know I haven't updated in a while. I'm truly sorry. Please continue to be patient and review. I appreciate your support immensely. Disclaimer: I do not own kingdom hearts.

My dreams were all twisted with weird images. I saw my mom, my friends, and Vanitas. There were a lot of pictures of him. I felt as though I were floating half the time then other times I'd feel like I was thrown into a cheese grater. I couldn't see anything but blackness now, which was gradually getting lighter. I heard muffled voices and struggled to open my eyes. "Vanitas, we can't just take him in. He has a family to go back to," a female voice was saying. Vanitas sighed near me, his warm breath brushing across my neck. "But...but Xion, his dad is a total asshat. He isn't someone Ventus should be around," he said. I felt myself unconsciously leaning towards his voice.

The female's voice-Xion's voice-seemed closer as she spoke again. "Vanitas, it's bad enough you're already attached to the kid. Knowing you, which I do way too well, you'll get too attached and won't want to give him up when the school year ends. That's not fair to you or to...to...what's his name," she said. I felt Vanitas stiffen and realized that my head was being cradled in his lap. "His name is Ventus, Xion," he said through his teeth. Xion sighed heavily, as though exasperated. "Ventus. Fine, whatever. I'm just saying that you should think about this first. I have to take care of you now that Mom and Dad left. I agreed when they called me, but I didn't expect to have to take care of my little brother and his new boyfriend, too," she said.

Vanitas coughed, trying to hide his embarrassment. My eyelids didn't feel as heavy as they did before. I allowed them to flutter open and instantly felt my head pound. I groaned in pain and covered my eyes with my palms. "Look at that. Sleeping Beauty is awake," Xion said. I heard Vanitas smack her lightly on the arm. "Hey, are you feeling better?" he asked softly. I moved my hands from my eyes but kept my lids shut; the light had nearly blinded me. "My head hurts like a bitch," I muttered. Xion let out a surprised bark of laughter and I peeked one eye open to glance at her. She was a short woman, early twenties, with croppy black hair and bright blue eyes. She was wearing a blood red sweater, a black lacy camisole, and ripped up dark jeans.

Xion cracked a lopsided grin towards me and saluted. "Hey there, kitten. I heard you got the shit beaten out of you. Feeling better?" she asked. I opened my eyes slowly and stared at her. "Fine. My head still hurts but the rest of me is-ow!" I started then winced as pain sparked through my body when I sat up. Xion and Vanitas both looked worried. I grimaced and leaned against the bed next to Vanitas. "Okay, I'm still sore as hell but I should be fine after awhile. I've gotten worse than this before," I said without thinking. Vanitas frowned and shot Xion a pointed look.

Xion glared at him then looked at me intently. "Uh...Ventus, right? Listen, I understand that you are going to be staying with us for a while. I'm warning you now that it'll be difficult for me to support all three of us. You may not get all the luxury that you got in your house-," she cut off at my raised eyebrows. I shook my head in disbelief. "I had no luxury. Would you like to know what my home is like?" I said in a flat, emotionless voice. I couldn't believe what I was saying. 'Ventus, you are breaking character so bad. You cannot possibly tell this new stranger and Vanitas your life! You're going to scare them off!' my subconscious screamed at me. The words seemed to burst from my lips before I could even think of stopping them.

"I get woken up every morning by my father shaking me by the neck. The whole time, he blames me for my mother's death. Eventually, he stops then can't bear to look at me anymore. He goes into his room and slams the door shut. I get ready for school as fast as I can because, if I don't, he'll come in and throw me down the stairs. I have to wake up Roxas and help him get ready, too. We have no food in our house except for instant ramen and beer. My breakfast is stale ramen and tap water. I go to school, where I have to continue to act like a different person, and have to get good grades. I have to. Dad gets really mad when I don't. When I have to go home from school, if I'm not there on time, Dad hits me with a frying pan. That's what he used to beat me when I went for my cat. All the time, I have to walk on glass around him so I don't set off his temper.

"He won't hit Roxas, I make sure of that. The cycle is never ending, especially during the summer. We can usually escape with our friends but we have to go home before curfew. If you can even call it a home. It's... it's just...not fair," I said, breaking down into a sobbing mess. I pulled my knees up to my chest and buried my face in my arms. The room felt thick with the amount of emotion emanating from me. I had never told anyone of my abused life; no one had ever asked. I felt warm arms wrap around me tightly. "Jeez, I had no idea, kid. Why haven't you reported him?" Xion said sadly. My head shot up, nearly smacking Vanitas in the face. "No! I can't do that! He'll kill me," I said panicked. Xion threw her hands up in a calming gesture. "Chill. I get it, I get it. Jesus, kitten, you've got it rough," Xion said shaking her head. I wiped my eyes on my sleeve and sniffled. I looked up at Vanitas and smiled shakily. "I'm okay now. Thank you," I said. Vanitas stared down at me with his golden eyes bright in concern.

He nodded slowly than released me. Part of me longed for him to hug me again. "Right! Enough of the awkward silence. Kitten, you need to get cleaned up. There is a shower down the hall. Vanitas, help me get dinner started. We have to cheer our new family member up," Xion said standing. She smiled at me and I felt my stomach warm. Vanitas wrinkled his nose at the idea of helping her cook. I began to feel slightly more at ease and apologized for my outburst. They both looked at me in surprise.

"Ventus, you had every right to. Don't apologize," Vanitas said. I glanced at Xion, who nodded in agreement. I smiled slightly. "Thanks," I said. Xion nodded again then got a wicked gleam in her eyes. "Vanitas, if you can handle it, why don't you show Ventus how to work the shower controls," she said. Vanitas tilted his head in confusion. "What do you mean by...oh," he said breaking off with a blush as red as Xion's sweater. He stood up and helped me to my feet. I looked back and forth between him and Xion, confused. Vanitas led me gently as he could down the hall. "I hate you," he hissed under his breath at Xion as he passed her. His sister simply shot him a fox-like grin and winked suggestively.

He rolled his eyes but a small smile tugged at his lips. Vanitas showed me how to use the shower then turned towards me. "Are you allergic to anything?" he asked. I blinked then shook my head. I still couldn't understand the conversation he'd had with his sister. The bathroom was beginning to get steamy and my cheeks felt hot with embarrassment. For some reason, standing with Vanitas alone in the bathroom made me strangely shy. Vanitas cleared his throat and shyly stepped around me. "I'll just..uh..leave you alone then," he mumbled as he opened the door. I bit my lip and watched him as he attempted to smile but an awkward grin came out instead. I giggled to myself as he shut the door, cursing himself under his breath.

I sobered once I caught my reflection in the mirror. I wiped the steam away and stared at myself in dismay. My eyes were dark and blackened, my whole face was covered in bruises and cuts, my lips were swollen and split on the bottom. I stripped my shirt off slowly, staring as my bruised skin blinked at me. I was black and blue from head to toe. I stood naked in front of the mirror and felt the throbbing for the first time. I ached all over and my chest felt like it was on fire. I remembered that I thought I'd heard my ribs crack and felt gingerly down my ribcage. Nothing seemed to be broken but oh man did it hurt. 'They must be bruised,' I thought.

I stepped into the shower and had to refrain from screaming as the warm water hit my cuts. I clenched my teeth as I stood beneath the stream of water. I glanced around for the shampoo and laughed in surprise. There were at least fifty different bottles of shampoo, conditioner, and body washes lined in a row on a huge shower rack. I grinned as I took the shampoo that smelled like a windy evening and found matching conditioner and body wash. Once the soap hit my skin, I couldn't help but hiss in pain. I rapidly yet gently washed myself and hair then rinsed. I turned off the water and stood for a few moments, my eyes fixated on the small trickle of blood that ran down the drain.

"Hey, kitten, I brought your suitcase upstairs into the guest room," Xion said from the door. I wiped the water from my eyes. "O-oh okay. Thank you," I said politely. Xion was quiet then I heard her sigh softly. "I don't think Vanitas told you about me, but I am a doctor. If you wouldn't mind, I'd like to check you over to make sure there isn't anything broken. Sound okay to you, kitten?" she said. I felt my heart squeeze at the note of concern in her voice. I pulled the curtain aside and wrapped myself in a towel.

Making sure I was covered, I opened the bathroom door. Xion blinked in surprise and gave a tentative smile. My breath seemed to catch in my throat; her smile looked just like Vanitas'. "The guest room is down the hall to your right. Get dressed then come down for dinner, yeah?" She said ruffling my hair lightly. I found the corners of my mouth lifting into a small smile. She nodded then walked down the stairs. I figured out where the guest room was and opened the door. The room was a dark blue, with black curtains and a small maple wood based bed with only a pale blue sheet. My suitcase sat on top of a maple wood dresser. I rummaged through my suitcase and quickly got dressed. There was a knock at the door and Xion came through. She was carrying a large heavy looking blanket and a pillow. "Ah, here. It gets cold in here sometimes during the night," she said nervously placing the bundle down on the bed.

I stared at her as she turned to me. "Come on, kitten, the food isn't going to eat itself," Xion teased. I paused a moment then smiled at her. "Thanks, Xion," I said. Xion seemed mildly amused then a look of dawning recognition lit up her face. "I can see why he likes you so much," she muttered before winking and leaving the room. I shook my head and followed her. 'Learning to understand what the hell she's talking about is going to be hard,' I thought in weary amusement. Once I reached the dining room, I stopped in my tracks and felt my eyes widen. "Look at all the food!" I cried happily.

A/N: As promised, I have updated this story. I'm so happy you all seem to like it so much. Whoohoo! :3 Thanks


	6. A New Beginning?

A/N: I'm back. Jeez, it's been a long-ass time since I last updated this story. Thank you so, so much for being patient with me. I swear I'll update faster. Also, spoiler alert, Kingdom Hearts: Unchained has been released in Japan! I'm so excited for it to reach America. Are you? Disclaimer: I do not own kingdom hearts.

Xion burst out laughing, much to my embarrassment. With my face burning, I stood awkwardly in the entryway to the dining room. A round, dark mahogany table stood in the center of the room, along with four elaborately carved chairs. In the center of the table sat a large bowl with a lid covering its contents "Oh, here you go, kitten. You can sit here," Xion said through her laughter, placing an empty plate down in front of a chair. I smiled at her in thanks and sat down, relieved. She went into the kitchen, giggling under her breath. I took in my surroundings and felt a warm feeling in my chest. This was the first time I'd actually be able to eat at a table, instead of eating in the solitude of my bedroom. I nonchalantly smelled the air and my mouth instantly began to water. From the smell of it, we were having spaghetti and meatballs for dinner. It is my favorite dish. A brief memory of Mom in the kitchen popped into my mind. '_That's right...she would make it for me all the time. I remember now,_' I thought. I smiled sadly as the memory vanished. "Do you want a salad, too?" Xion asked, poking her head into the dining room. I shook my head politely and she gave me a thumbs up. "I gotcha. I'm not much of a salad person either. Do you like Dr. Pepper? Sorry, but that's all we have at the moment," she said. I nodded enthusiastically; Dr. Pepper was my favorite soda. As she vanished into the kitchen once more, I looked around the room. Other than the table, there was a tall china cabinet, complete with china plates, and family pictures. One picture stood out from all the others; it was the only picture of a boy with black spiky hair and big gold eyes. "I see you have discovered Vanitas' third grade picture. He was nine then and used to give his teacher hell," Xion said as she piled food on my plate and set it down in front of me. It turned out that I was right; it was spaghetti with meatballs. "Aw, sis, don't tell him that. It's embarrassing," Vanitas said, placing a plate of garlic bread down on the table. I watched in amusement as Xion stuck her tongue out at him. "Shut up and eat," she said playfully. I picked up my fork and twirled it around in the spaghetti. I took a bite and nearly moaned; it was delicious. I continued eating, forgetting that I wasn't alone. I was mid-bite when Xion started giggling. I looked up and froze; they were both watching me in amusement.

My face burned all the way to my ears from embarrassment. "Jeez, is it good or what?" Xion asked. I nodded sheepishly which made Vanitas smile. "Of course it's good, Xion. I was the one who made it," Vanitas said quickly in a haughty voice. While Xion argued that she'd helped, I noticed that he glanced over at me with a worried expression; Vanitas seemed to be trying his hardest to make me comfortable here. He had even made my favorite dish, though I knew it had been a coincidental thing. Part of me wanted to thank him, yet another was unsure how he'd react. I didn't want him to think I was kissing up to him. Once I realized the irony behind my thoughts, I avoided Vanitas' gaze. We ate in awkward silence after that; the only noises in the room were the clinking of our forks and the ice in our glasses. Eventually, Xion cleared her throat and set her calm blue gaze on me. "So, kitten, what class do you share with Vanitas?" she said casually. I swallowed quickly and said that we had English together. She nodded with a thoughtful expression. "Tell me about this project you have," she prompted, eager to keep the conversation going. "Er...we have to write a twelve page essay about the partner Mr. Marluxia assigned to us. It's due by the end of the year," I explained. Xion furrowed her eyebrows then shook her head slightly. I glanced over at Vanitas, who was looking down at his food, eating quietly. Though I couldn't see his face, part of me sensed that he was in deep thought. "Why did he assign such a personal project?" Xion asked. I couldn't think of a response; truthfully, I had no idea. I shrugged and ate another bite of my food. "Ah!" I exclaimed as sauce flicked up onto my cheek from a loose spaghetti noodle. Thankfully, the sauce landed just beneath my lower lid, sparing me the stinging hell that would have occurred had it hit my actual eye. I had closed it reflexively. Without thinking, I licked up what sauce I could reach. "Um...are you okay?" Xion asked. I glanced up at her, my tongue out slightly. "Oh, yeah, I'm alright. Just had some sauce smack me in the face, is all," I said, blushing. As she laughed, I spared another glance over at Vanitas. He was in the same position as before, but his cheeks were red and his mouth was pressed into a thin line. I took my napkin and wiped the remaining sauce off my face, feeling slightly confused. '_Is he mad at me? Did I do something to upset him?_' I thought.

"Oh, I forgot to say that I'll get home around eight in the evening. Since I get up at the crack of fucking dawn, I don't want any noise. Just please let me sleep. I'm going to be exhausted," Xion sighed, rubbing her eyes. I nodded and quietly ate the rest of my food. I waited until everyone was finished eating then offered to do the dishes. Xion smiled gratefully but shook her head. "Don't you have homework or something? Besides, this is your first day here. I'll sentence you to hard labor once you've settled in, kitten," she said, taking my plate before I could protest. I opened my mouth, then closed it again; there was no point in arguing with her. I turned to ask Vanitas if he had any homework, but he wasn't there. I sighed and picked up my backpack. I went up the stairs and down the hall, hesitating at Vanitas' door. There were muffled noises coming from behind it, but I didn't dare open it. I went into the guest room and sat on the bed. I tried to focus on my homework, but all I seemed to think about was Vanitas. '_What did I do wrong?'_ I thought. Our kiss flashed into my mind. I dropped my pencil and put my head in my hands. "You fucked up, Ventus. You fucked up big time," I whispered. I knew I shouldn't have broken character. "I thought I could, at least around him," I murmured to myself. I stretched my legs out and accidently shoved my papers off my bed. As I bent to pick them up, my subconscious quipped up. '_He was the one who initiated the kiss, remember?_' it said. I paused and slowly placed the papers back on my bed. That didn't make any sense; surely, it was a spur of the moment type of thing. Vanitas wasn't in the right state of mind because his emotions were all scattered. He didn't really mean to kiss me. I nodded to myself, convinced that that was the case. A soft knock on my door shook me out of the daze I'd been in. "Come in," I said. The door opened and Xion popped her head through. In the light, I could see the dark circles under her eyes and realized just how tired she must be. "Hey there, kitten. You still want me to check you over?" she asked softly. Despite my embarrassment, I nodded and sat on my bed. Xion came into the room and sat beside me. With gentle hands, she examined the wounds Dad had inflicted. "I realize that I told you a tiny, unintentional lie. I'm not a doctor, but I'm actually a nurse," she murmured. I nodded, wincing only slightly when her fingers brushed against my ribs. "Lift your shirt, kitten," Xion said. I shyly did as I was asked. She made a small sound of dismay as she saw the multiple angry-looking bruises. "Oh, man. This is worse than I thought," she muttered to herself. I inhaled sharply as she pressed along my rib-cage. Giving me an apologetic look, Xion felt my ribs with a look of concentration. After a few minutes, she sat back. "Alright, I've got good news and shitty news. Which do you want to hear first?" she said. I shrugged, causing a sharp pang to shoot through my chest. "Good news...then bad," I wheezed as I held my chest. Xion ran a hand through her hair and heaved a heavy sigh.

"Well, kitten, your daddy fucked you up pretty bad; however, he didn't do anything severe or fatal. You'll be in pain for awhile, but you should get better soon," she explained. I mimicked her sigh and pulled my shirt on over my head. "Okay, what's the bad news?" I asked. Xion smiled with a tired expression and ruffled my hair. "The bad news is that you still have to go to school, kid," she said getting up. I groaned, much to her amusement. "Yeah, it sucks. You'll get over it. Hey, are you going to be warm enough with that blanket?" she said. I nodded and thanked her. Xion just smiled, a sad expression barely masked by exhaustion. "Goodnight, Ventus. Sleep well," she said closing the door. I called out a 'goodnight' in return and focused on placing the papers back into my backpack. Although it took me forever, I had managed to complete all of my homework. Feeling drained, I got up and went into the bathroom to brush my teeth. I was just about to rinse my toothbrush and put it away, when a low thud sounded from Vanitas' room. Thinking he'd gotten hurt, I quickly placed the toothbrush in the holder and went to his door. I froze, my hand inches from the handle. After several minutes of hesitation, I forced myself to knock quietly. There was the noise of shuffling papers then footsteps. The door opened and Vanitas looked down at me, a look of frustration on his face. "Yeah?" he said in a slightly gruff voice. I bit my lip and looked everywhere but his face. "U-um...I heard a thud and thought something had happened. I-I'm sorry if I disturbed you," I stammered. He was silent for a moment, then opened the door wider. "You must have heard me punch my desk. I've been trying to figure out this damn math equation for the past hour," he said as he walked back to his desk. I followed timidly, wary as to whether or not he meant for me to enter his room. He motioned toward the piece of paper on his desk with a look of disdain. "There's the damn thing. Look at it, isn't it disgusting?" he said. I half-smiled and looked over the equation.

"Oh, I had this one. There's a trick to it. Here, I'll show you," I said, sitting down. Vanitas seemed relieved and peered over my shoulder as I demonstrated how to solve the problem to him. "All you need to do is divide the variable by 2, then subtract that from the fraction," I explained. Vanitas nodded slowly in understanding and took the pencil from me. I clamped my mouth shut to hide my sharp intake of breath as his fingers brushed against mine. He followed my instructions then finally completed the equation. Vanitas' body visibly relaxed. "Well, fuck, it's done. It seems easy when you do it," he muttered. I briefly laughed and shook my head sheepishly. "It took me awhile to figure it out myself," I admitted, "Thank the power of the calculator, not me." He grinned and slid the homework into a pale gray folder. "I'm all finished then. Thanks, Ventus," he said. I watched him place the folder in his backpack in confusion. Wasn't he still upset? "Uh, sure, no problem," I said. Vanitas glanced over at me and stopped what he was doing. "What's wrong? You're looking at me like I'm the most difficult puzzle you've ever had to solve," he said, frowning at me. _'Wait, what? Was I staring? Oh no,'_ I thought. My cheeks heated furiously and I avoided his gaze by staring down at my lap. "I-it's just that I thought you were mad at me," I mumbled. His face scrunched up in befuddlement. "What? Why the hell would I be mad at you?" he said puzzled. I bit my lip and scratched the back of my neck nervously. "W-well, you seemed upset about something at dinner and I thought it was because I-," I broke off, realizing what I'd been about to say. A faint look of recognition passed briefly across Vanitas' features, but it quickly vanished. "No, no, I wasn't mad at you. I was...just thinking about something that happened before dinner. No biggie, alright?" he said. A sense of dread filled my mind as I read in between the lines. He regrets the kiss. He wished that it never happened. "Oh...um...okay. G-goodnight then, Vanitas," I said softly. He watched me with an unreadable expression as I left his room. "Goodnight, Ven," he called out. A burst of warmth spread through me at the sound of my nickname and I couldn't help but smile giddily.

I went into the guest room and rummaged through my suitcase for my over-sized T-shirt that I usually slept in. In reality, it was the only article of clothing that could be considered as night clothes. I didn't have any real pajamas; Dad had thought that they were unnecessary and a waste of money. Frowning, I stripped off my shirt and winced as the action tugged painfully at my ribs. Carefully, I undid my jeans and shoved them off, clenching my teeth against the jolting pain shocking my muscles. I stood there for a moment then took in a deep breath. I was just about to pull the shirt over my head when I heard a loud smacking sound. Startled, I glanced over and saw Vanitas standing in the doorway, his hand clamped tight over his eyes. "I-I-I'm sorry! I should've knocked first," he stammered. His entire face was beat red. I rapidly pulled my T-shirt on and sat on my bed, trying to hide my embarrassment. "I'm decent now," I mumbled. He cautiously peeked through his fingers then sighed in relief. Vanitas hesitantly came over and sat down next to me. "Did you...did you need something?" I asked. As he came up with a response, I was mentally having a panic attack. I was in literally nothing but my underwear and a T-shirt. Endless, dirty thoughts were scrambling in my mind. He was sitting nearly hip to hip with me. I pulled my knees up to my chest and covered them with my shirt. '_Yeah, cause that takes care of the problem_,' I thought sarcastically. "I...I actually wanted to ask you something," Vanitas muttered, his fingers picking at the bedspread. My heart pounded harder in my chest and my breath was coming in gasps. "O-okay, what?" I said, trying to calm down. He looked up at me and I gulped; his gaze was so intense. I wished that he wouldn't look at me like that; he wasn't helping my situation. '_Holy crap, could it be about the kiss? Is he going to tell me I'm gross? What if he's going to kick me out because of it?'_ I thought frantically. Vanitas bit his lip and shakily chuckled. "It's just...uh...you're really good at math and I suck at it. So...I was wondering if maybe you'd tutor me?" he said. Relief washed over me and I laughed, almost hysterically. "Oh, is that all? Sure, I'll tutor you," I said. He seemed a little taken aback by my change in attitude, but he just smiled. "Thanks and I'm sorry about...uh...walking in on you," he muttered, getting up. I was reminded of how embarrassing the situation was and felt my cheeks flush.

He caught my blush and scratched the back of his neck. "I'll...make sure I knock next time," he mumbled, avoiding my eyes. Feeling slightly more courageous, I raised an eyebrow and cracked a half-grin. "Well, jeez, if you wanted to see me naked, you could've at least asked me out first," I said without thinking. Vanitas went scarlet and quickly looked down at the floor. I realized what I'd said and covered my eyes, mortified. "I-I'm so s-sorry," I spluttered. Vanitas looked back up at me and chuckled. "I'll make a note of that...next time," he said. My eyes widened in disbelief; he was flirting back with me? "Goodnight again, Ventus," Vanitas said with a shy smile. I returned the smile shakily and giggled only slightly. "Goodnight. Again," I said. He winked and did a small, half-salute as he left the room. "Oh my god," I whispered to myself and turned off the light. As I settled into my bed, I thought about how my life had so abruptly changed. I gave in to the soothing darkness and wondered if the change had been for the better.

A/N: Aaand, done. There's this chapter, now on to the next. I tried to make this chapter long, but it just ended up being short like the rest. I'm sorry. Ugh...the struggle with writer's block is real. I hope I'll have next chapter done soon. Just so you all know, your reviews really helped motivate me. I thank you for that.


	7. Broken

A/N: Here is chapter 7, as promised. I told you that I'd update faster. Even though I feel that this isn't my best story, it makes me happy that you all like it so much. I appreciate the support more than you know. Anyway, I'm not going to keep you from reading, so let the story commence! Disclaimer: I do not own kingdom hearts.

I am walking through the hallway of my school, my face feeling heavy. With each step, the heavy feeling seems to intensify, causing me to have to physically hold my head up. My neck aches and I have to stop walking in order to catch my breath. People rush by me, but I can't tell who is who; everyone is going so fast, they're a blur. I begin to panic, searching desperately for someone I know. I spot a shock of blue hair and hurry through the crowd towards it. I am relieved that Aqua is there and grab her shoulder to turn her towards me. I am unprepared for the ghastly mask that is covering her pretty face and recoil, stumbling backwards several steps. She follows me and tilts her head to the side, as though questioning my actions. Two figures suddenly appear from behind her and I soon recognize them as Sora and Roxas. They, too, are wearing their own horrifying masks. Before I can blink, I am surrounded by a crowd of students, all adorn in terrifying masks. "What is wrong with you people? Why are you wearing such awful things on your faces?" I scream. My voice is barely audible and sounds like it is coming from under water. Aqua peers at me through her mask and shakes her head. "What are you talking about, Ventus? You're wearing one, too," she says, her voice clear and loud, despite the thick plastic covering her mouth. It feels as though my blood turns to ice in my veins and I rush into the nearest restroom. I stop in front of the nearest mirror. My face is contorted by the worst mask of all. I frantically make an attempt to rip the mask off, but it is to no avail; it is stuck tight like cement. I panic and start pulling fearfully at the mask. I rush from the restroom, calling for help as I try to pry the seemingly plastered mask from my skin. No one appears to hear me and I slam into people in a wild charge of fright. I trip and fall onto the floor hard, the side of my face slamming into the tile. I feel the spot where the mask was struck and begin to cry; not a single dent has defiled the mask's surface. Laughing, cruel and horrible, echoes throughout the hallway and gets increasingly louder, until my ears begin to ring. It is when I hear my own insane laughter, erupting hysterically from my throat, is when I scream.

I bolted upward, the final notes of the scream dying in my throat. I have to take in deep, heaving breaths in order to keep myself from hyperventilating. My entire body was covered in sweat, making my T-shirt cling to me like a leech. My heart thudded hard in my chest like a hyperactive hummingbird. I tried to calm my nerves. "It...it was just a dream," I muttered to myself. Gasping for air, I flung the covers from my body and swung my legs over the side of the bed. My feet hit the floor with two distinct thuds. I spared a glance at my alarm clock and groaned in frustration; it was three in the morning. I held my head in my hands and closed my eyes. I instantly reopened them as the frightening images of the masks leered back at me. "Ah, shit," I cursed under my breath. I ran a hand through my messy hair and blew out a harsh exhale of breath. I looked around my room and felt goosebumps rise on my skin. The room was illuminated by the moonlight shining from the window, painting dark shadows along the floor and walls. I whimpered like a child and wrapped my arms around myself. "M-maybe I should just take a walk or something," I mumbled. The silence in the bedroom seemed to mock my pathetic act of speaking out loud to myself. I almost laughed at how ridiculous I was acting. Almost. I stood rather shakily and tiptoed silently over to the door.

Opening it as soundlessly as I could, I slipped out of my stuffy room and stood in the slightly chilly hallway. "Oh crap, this is even worse," I whispered to myself. An eerie feeling crept up my spine and made the hair on the back of my neck stand up on end. 'Where the hell did you expect to walk to, dumbass?' my subconscious sneered at me. I gulped and gnawed at my lower lip. It was right; I didn't really have anywhere to go. A part of me wanted to go into Vanitas' room, but, although the door was open and tempting, I knew that it would only make matters worse. I let out a defeated sigh and turned to go back into my room. "Ventus? Is that you?" said a sleepy voice. I felt my heart skip a beat and turned towards Vanitas' room. There he was, leaning on his elbows, looking at me from his bed. I gulped and tried to speak but only a squeak of air came through. I cleared my throat and licked my lips. "Uh, yeah, it's me," I said sheepishly. He yawned and a stab of guilt shot through me; I had woken him up. Vanitas motioned for me to enter the room and, after a brief moment of hesitation, I obeyed. I stood awkwardly at the side of his bed. He rubbed his eyes and yawned again. "Why are you up, Ventus? It's...3:15 in the morning," he mumbled, squinting at the alarm clock by his bed. I bit my lip hard and scratched the back of my neck in embarrassment. "I just...um...had a nightmare. It isn't that big of a deal, though. I just couldn't go back to sleep and the shadows on the walls keep reminding me of how terrible the nightmare was," I said, surprising myself. I hadn't meant to say that last comment; it had slipped out. Vanitas quietly listened, his head tilted. Abruptly, he scooted over and held the covers off the bed, revealing a space on his mattress. "Here. You can sleep with me, so you don't have another nightmare," he said, his voice slightly heavy with sleep. I was thankful for the darkness that hid the burning blush spreading up to my ears. "A-ah, no, that's o-okay, Vanitas. I've already woken you up a-and I wouldn't want to-," I stammered, cutting off when he grabbed my hand and tugged me onto his bed.

"It's fine with me, Ventus. You just said that you were scared to sleep in your room," he mumbled. I swallowed hard and tried not to move as he placed the comforter over me. He slumped back down onto his pillow with a tired sigh. I could feel his body heat emanating from him, warming my cold skin. I was about to protest that there was no need for me to stay in his room, when he rolled over to face me. "Ven, you're shaking. Are you sure you're okay?" Vanitas asked looking down at me in concern. I wanted to nod and say that I was fine, but I knew that there was no point in lying; I was still very much afraid. I shook my head and impulsively moved closer to him. He wrapped his arms around me and pulled me to him. As embarrassing as the situation was, I felt a sense of comfort from the embrace. A smile tugged at my lips and my eyes began to droop. I saw the masks and my eyes shot open. I gasped in fright and Vanitas tightened his hold on me. "Shh, it's okay. Don't think about it. Focus on something else, something that makes you happy," he murmured. I allowed myself to be soothed by his voice and took shaky breaths to calm myself. I came to an abrupt realization; it wasn't the embrace that comforted me, it was Vanitas himself. 'Jeez, could you be any more obvious?' I scolded myself. I smiled as Vanitas unintentionally nuzzled my neck then muttered 'sorry' once he had done so. I could hear the shyness in his voice and focused on it. My eyes drooped once more, but this time I didn't see the masks. Instead, I saw Vanitas smiling at me. My muscles relaxed and I sighed in relief. "Thank you," I whispered as I drifted into unconsciousness. I heard him mumble an inaudible response then fell asleep.

I had a dreamless sleep, consisting of only a silent darkness. The blackness held a sense of peace and made me feel as though I were wrapped in it like a blanket. A warm blanket that smelled of the nighttime wind and hickory smoke. I had the sensation of being swayed, softly and calmly. It was such a wonderful experience, I wished that it didn't have to end. Without warning, I was jerked out of my serenity and was jolted to reality by the blaring sound of the alarm. My eyes shot open and my ear, the one directly next to the alarm clock, started ringing. I tried to move my arm to hit the snooze button, but I soon discovered that it was trapped under seperate limbs; I was being spooned from behind. I nudged the blanket off of me and found a pale leg draped over mine. An arm dangled over my ribs and another pinned both my arms to the bed. Warm breath was hitting my neck in even bursts and I turned my face to investigate. I came nose-to-nose with sleeping Vanitas. My heart nearly broke at the sight of him; although it was peaceful, Vanitas' sleeping expression was also one of pure despair. I sighed softly and pulled one of my arms out of his grasp as carefully as I could. I slammed my hand down on the snooze button and almost cried in relief; my eardrum was nearly shattered. As the room filled with the abrupt silence, I heard Vanitas make a sound similar to a whine. He pulled me against him and I looked behind me in confusion. When I saw the distressed look on his face, my mouth tugged up into a grin. 'He didn't want me to move away from him,' I thought. A wry sense of amusement sparked in my chest; I hadn't really moved away. I had only shifted my arm a little. "Vanitas...hey, Vanitas. Wake up. We have to get ready for school," I whispered, shaking him lightly. Vanitas stirred and his eyes fluttered open. He took in a shaky breath and looked down at me in a daze, as though wondering why I was there. Realization dawned in his eyes and he groggily released me. I felt a stab of disappointment then had to bite my lip to keep from laughing at his flustered expression.

"Oh...um...jeez, Ven, sorry about that. I didn't- oh no," he said, shooting his eyes downward. I frowned in confusion, but once I shifted slightly and felt what was pressing against the back of my thigh, I understood. My face turned deep scarlet and I locked gazes with Vanitas, who was just as embarrassed as I was. "U-uh, that doesn't usually happen. I-I mean it does, but...I-I don't know how it got there. I mean I do, but I wasn't...ah, dammit," he stammered. Even though I was embarrassed, I couldn't help but smile at him. He was adorable when he was flustered. 'There you go again. I thought you weren't into guys, Ventus? Have you changed your mind now that he popped a bone cone on you? Congratulations, sexpants, you turned him on with your snoring,' my subconscious joked. I snorted then quickly clamped my hand over my mouth to suppress the burst of laughter. Vanitas peered down at me in nervous curiosity. I lost it. I tried hard to smother my laughter, but it just erupted from my chest whenever I made eye contact with Vanitas. He stared at me with a puzzled expression, then started to laugh along with me. After a few minutes, our laughter ceased and we just looked at each other while catching our breath. Vanitas grinned down at me, but he still seemed to be embarrassed. "Thanks...y'know, for letting me sleep with you. I didn't have anymore nightmares," I mumbled. He seemed genuinely happy and relieved to hear that I had slept without fear. "Anytime, Ven," he said. My heart beat faster; he'd called me Ven again. 'Yeah, no shit. You did tell him to call you that, dumbass,' my subconscious sneered. My cheeks went hot when I noticed that Vanitas was looking down at me intently. "I-I'm sorry about...well...um," he began, his face turning bright red. I smiled to hide my own embarrassment and looked down at the blanket shyly. "I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable, is what I meant to say," he mumbled. I glanced back up at him in surprise. 'He thinks that I'm uncomfortable?' I thought. 'I thought it was funny and...flattering.' Without thinking, I leaned closer to him and gave him a small kiss on the cheek. "What makes you think that?" I said, "I'm not uncomfortable...at all."

We made full on eye-contact for a moment. It was in that moment, my courage ran out and I did the stupidest, most obvious thing ever; I fled. I rushed out of the room and scampered into the guest room. I shut the door, then leaned against it. I took in a breath and realized that I was shaking with adrenaline. 'You do realize what you just did, don't you? You just gave him a confession or what sounded like a confession,' my mind screamed at me. I gulped and felt my lips curve into a smile. Perhaps I did like Vanitas in a romantic way; it sure as hell seemed like I did. I wondered if he felt the same way. I shook my head doubtfully. There was no way in hell he'd like someone like me. My giddiness subsided and was replaced with a dull sense of hurt. 'What, did you expect him to like you the moment you start flirting with him? You're delusional,' I told myself. Once again, our kiss flashed in my mind. I touched my lips with the tips of my fingers and felt a surge of sadness. 'You've been through this before. It meant nothing to him. He was upset, need a way to comfort himself, and you just happened to be there. End of story,' I thought. My body began to tremble and I slid down to the floor, holding back tears.

I pressed my lips together and shut my eyes. I knew that I was punishing myself by thinking that way, but I couldn't help it. I had just met him yesterday and I'd already been on an emotional roller-coaster, broken character almost completely, and have been the pawn to brand new feelings I thought I could never feel. I shook my head and sighed as I got to my feet. I wiped the tears pricking the corners of my eyes. There was no point in crying. I grabbed my suitcase off the dresser and rummaged through it, trying to find something to wear for school. I felt something cold and hard beneath my hand. It was my cellphone. "Oh, fuck, I forgot I had brought this," I cursed, turning it on. Once the screen lit up, I cringed; I had 27 text messages and 8 missed calls. I scanned through the messages and found that all except one were from Aqua. The one exception was from Roxas, thanking me for his suitcase. The calls were from Aqua, too. 'Great. She must be worried about me. I'd better call her,' I thought, dialing her number. She answered on the third ring. "VENTUS STRIFE! I HAVE BEEN WORRIED SICK ABOUT YOU! WHY DIDN'T YOU ANSWER THE PHONE?!" she screeched. I held the phone away from my ear and cringed.

"I'm really sorry, Aqua, I had to deal with a bunch of crap yesterday and I forgot that I'd brought my cellphone with me," I apologized. Aqua was silent. Knowing her like I did, she was frowning at the phone, deep in thought. I pinched the bridge of my nose and closed my eyes. "It was your dad again, wasn't it?" she asked quietly. I heaved a sigh, which she took as my answer. "Oh, Venny, I'm so sorry. What happened?" Aqua said. I explained what had happened while getting dressed. "You've got to be shitting me. He actually apologized for nearly killing you? Are you sure this is your dad we're talking about here?" she said incredulously. I nodded and shifted the phone into my other hand. "Yep, pretty much," I said dryly. I ran a brush through my hair and heard her snort in disgust. She began to mutter a series of curse words under her breath, forgetting that I could hear her. I chuckled and told her what had happened after I'd gone back to Vanitas' house. Aqua went quiet again. I took her silence as an opportunity to brush my teeth. "You like him, don't you?" she said in a fangirly voice. I nearly choked. How could she tell? I quickly spat out the toothpaste and wiped my mouth.

"What the hell are you talking about?" I retorted, "I do not." Aqua giggled, making me blush in embarrassment. 'Jeez, she's not even here and she still can embarrass the crap out of me,' I thought. I was so busy arguing with Aqua that I didn't notice the time. Thankfully, Aqua was paying attention. "Shit, it's already 6:30. Hey, are we still going to walk to school together?" she said. I bit my lip; I had wanted to maybe walk with Vanitas. "Of course. It's okay if we invite our partners, too, right?" I asked, crossing my fingers. I could almost see Aqua smirking at the phone. "Sure, Ven, you can bring your hottie partner with you," she teased. I cursed and the playful banter began again. I snatched my backpack from the floor and heaved it onto my shoulders. As I began to make my way down the hallway, I paused at Vanitas' room. The door was open and Vanitas was sitting on his bed. I was about to open my mouth to speak, when I noticed that he was shaking. "Aqua, I have to go," I whispered, not taking my eyes off of Vanitas. Aqua caught my change of tone and didn't ask any questions; she just hung up without a word. I tentatively hid against the wall, my socks slipping on the hardwood slightly. My breath caught in my throat when Vanitas suddenly put his head in his hands. "It's only for eight hours. All you have to do is survive for eight hours," he muttered. I moved to walk away, feeling that I was intruding. "What's the point? No one cares if you show up or not," he said sadly. I felt as though my heart were about to constrict on itself. 'That's not true. I care,' I thought. I heard footsteps and retreated into my room. Peeking through the gap between the door hinges, I watched him slowly go into the bathroom. He flicked on the light and just stared at his reflection in the mirror. His face was contorted by a torrent of emotions and his hands gripped at the edges of the sink. It was difficult to just stand there, rather than rush to his aid. I knew though, deep in my heart, that now wasn't the time to be a hero; he wouldn't accept my aid. He was too deep within his mind that he wouldn't have heard a word I said to him, anyway.

When he shut the door, my heart nearly broke. 'Don't get involved, Ventus. You have no idea how to deal with situations like this,' my subconcious warned. I sighed; I wished that I could help Vanitas. I didn't want him to suffer so much. I approached the door and lifted my hand to knock. It swung open and my hand screeched to a halt inches from Vanitas' face. I paled and apologized profusely. He seemed bemused and just shook his head. "It's fine. I'm done in here," was all he said as he brushed past me. I spun on my heel and nearly shouted at him to wait. He stopped and looked at me, startled. "What?" he said. I blushed and mentally cursed myself for being so awkward. "I-I was just wondering if you w-wanted to walk to school with me and my friends," I stuttered, "Of course, if you don't want to, I totally understand." I internally screamed; could I be anymore obvious? Vanitas' eyes widened and his eyebrows flew up in surprise. "H-huh? Me? You want me to walk with you?" he said in disbelief. I bit my lip; I knew it would be a mistake to ask. "W-well, that's only if you want to. I'm not going to force you," I said, looking away. God, I was so embarrassed. I felt like my whole body was one big, blushing mess. "Y-yeah, that'd be great. I'd love to walk with you," Vanitas said. I looked up in shock. 'He said yes? Seriously?' I thought. He smiled brightly and I couldn't help but smile in return. "Great! Let's go then," I said breathless with relieved happiness. He followed me down the stairs. I stood on the porch, trying to mentally prepare myself for the day. Vanitas locked the front door and leapt off the steps onto the sidewalk. "C'mon, we'll be late if we don't start walking now," he said. He was so happy, his face lit up and laughing. I hurried to keep up with him. "Hey, Ven, watch this!" Vanitas shouted as he started running. I watched as he jumped and grabbed onto a low-hanging tree limb. "Ah, be careful!" I yelled. He flipped back onto solid ground, landed it, and looked back at me. My heartbeat sped up at the sight of him. His golden eyes shone and a cocky smirk played on his lips. His normally pale face was flushed by excitement and he was slightly out of breath. I found myself clapping and laughing. "10 out of 10!" I cheered.

Vanitas stood up, brushing the dirt off of his pants. "Where did you learn how to do that?" I asked as we began walking again. He grinned and gestured to a tree. "I was into climbing trees when I was younger. I would always fall out of them, so I learned how to land on my feet," he explained. I nodded; that made sense. "What about the flip? Does it give you more momentum before you land?" I asked. Vanitas smirked at me and my cheeks went pink. "Nah, that was just for show," he said. I looked at the ground shyly, unable to maintain eye contact. "Ven! Over here!" Aqua shouted from our meeting spot. I glanced over at Vanitas and saw that his expression had changed. He seemed...disappointed? Upset? Annoyed? I couldn't tell. "Vanitas? You okay?" I asked, concerned. He glanced down at me then sighed. "I'm fine. It's just...I've got social anxiety. I'm not good with meeting people," he muttered. I put my hand timidly on his shoulder and gave a small smile of encouragement. "If you want, I can do all the talking for you. Then, when you feel comfortable with speaking to them, you can get to know them. They aren't bad, really. Except Roxas. You should watch out for him. He's my little shit of a brother," I said. Vanitas laughed and nodded in agreement. "Thanks, Ven," he said. I grinned at him and waved at Aqua. When we got closer, I noticed that her partner, the guy with the brown hair that stuck up in the back, was leaning against the stop sign. I shot her a suggestive look that made her frown. She glared at me and mouthed, "Don't you dare." I waggled my eyebrows at her and laughed as she went red. "Well, good morning to you, too, Ventus," she said with a scowl. I shook my head and gave her a hug. She returned it then smacked me on the side of my head. "Ow! Uncalled for!" I said, pouting. She stuck her tongue out at me then turned her attention to Vanitas, who was standing behind me. "Is he your partner, Ven?" Aqua asked, smiling kindly at him. I nodded and caught Vanitas' eye. He gave me the smallest of nods and I turned back to Aqua. "His name is Vanitas. He sits behind Selphie in English," I said. Aqua glanced back at Vanitas and tilted her head. "Nice to meet you, Vanitas. Don't be fooled by how I act around this dork. I'm a decent person, I swear," she said, giggling. Vanitas smiled only a little bit. "Is he your partner, Aqua?" I asked, reminding her that the poor guy was standing only a few feet away. Aqua flushed in embarrassment and motioned for him to come over. He looked up at her and shoved himself off of the stop sign. "Terra. Nice to meet you," he said in a deep voice. My eyes widened involuntarily and I smiled in greeting. Vanitas nodded, a guarded look on his face. Aqua bit her lip and shot me our special look that meant she needed to tell me something important.

Before I could say anything, there came a series of shouts from down the street. We all exchanged looks of surprise and rushed in the direction of the sound. There was a group of students surrounding something, yelling and cheering. I shoved my way through the crowd and stopped dead. Seifer and his two flunkies, Fuu and Rai, were standing over two crumpled figures. I began forcing my way again when I noticed the similar blonde hair and brown spikes. "Sora, Roxas!" I shouted. I nearly fell as I made my way to the clearing. I knelt next to my brother and friend, checking them over. "Don't bother. Those wimps are toast," Seifer jeered. The crowd laughed. I glared at him and had to bite the inside of my cheek. I was surrounded by my fellow classmates; I couldn't break character. There was a series of violent shoves and cries of annoyance as two people made their way through the crowd. "Ugh, Ven?" Sora groaned. I nodded and helped him into a sitting position. Roxas opened his one good eye with a pained moan; his other was swollen shut. "Sora!" yelled a deep voice. The silver haired boy I had met in class broke through the group and fell to his knees beside my friend. "Hey, Riku. I'm okay. Just a few scrapes and bruises. No big deal," Sora said in a false cheerful voice. I heard several people in the crowd begin muttering hurtful things about Sora's talking. Sora quickly shut his mouth, his eyes filling with tears. He had broken character and immediately regretted it. Riku cradled Sora's head in his arms, a look of hoplessnes in his eyes. "Roxy! Roxas!" Axel cried as he reached the clearing. My brother smiled gingerly as Axel fussed over him. "Hey, spiky, what are you doing here?" Roxas rasped. Axel tapped the his temple with his index finger, which I assumed was some sort of code. Roxas seemed to get it and relaxed in his partner's arms. "Isn't this romantic? I think I might cry," Seifer sneered, his voice cutting through the loud noise of the students. Riku and Axel each shared a look and stood up. Side by side, they turned to face the three bullies. "Seifer, they wanna fight, ya know?" Rai said. Fuu nodded mutely in agreement. Seifer laughed and got into a fighting stance. "Oh, they do, do they? Well, I say, bring it on!" he said. The students went wild and started chanting the name of who they wanted to win.

"I'll take the old man wannabe, while you take the beam-pole over there," Seifer ordered. Riku just smiled and brushed his hair out of his eyes. "Think you can take me?" he asked in a deathly calm voice. Axel grinned and set his feet apart, his fists up. Seifer struck first, jabbing at Riku's face. Riku dodged out of the way and slammed his fist into Seifer's spine. I watched the fight through awed eyes. Riku fought with fierce grace and agility while Axel fought like a cat, stealthy and quick. He seemed to be enjoying the whole experience, judging from the broad grin on his face. Despite their amazing fighting skills, Riku and Axel were slowly losing the fight. The three bullies had gained momentum and were taking full advantage of it. "This isn't a fair fight! It's two against three!" I shouted. I was about to get up and join them, when there was a flash of blue hair and Fuu went flying. The crowd fell into a shocked silence. "It is now," Aqua growled as she stalked towards the fallen girl, "No one hurts my friends and gets away with it." With a pissed off Aqua at their side, Riku and Axel began to gain the upper-hand. Aqua looked like an avenging goddess as she slapped, punched, and pulled the hair. At the sound of police sirens, the crowd dispersed in panic. "Quick! We have to go!" Terra yelled, snatching Roxas and Sora up. He threw them over his broad shoulders and started running. As Aqua, Riku, and Axel went after him, I felt a hand tug me to my feet. "Come on, Ven!" Vanitas said, pulling me by my hand as he rushed forward. I ran with him, hearing the police sirens getting closer and closer. The eight of us charged through the doors to the school and, after a minute of us standing there out of breath, Terra opened the stairwell door. "Through here," he said slipping inside. We all exchanged looks then followed him. I gripped Vanitas' hand tighter without meaning to; I was too scared to think straight. He looked back at me and attempted a smile. It soon faltered. Terra stopped suddenly, causing a painful domino effect as we all slammed into him. I felt my cheek rip on something sharp and cried out.

"In there is a bathroom no one uses anymore. We can hide there until this whole mess gets dealt with," Terra explained as he shoved himself to his feet. With pain-filled groans, we all cramped inside the bathroom. I slid against the cold wall to the floor and sighed in exhaustion. Vanitas plopped down next to me with a heavy sigh. I pulled my knees up to my chest and rested my chin on them. "What do we do now?" Riku asked, nursing an angry red mark on his cheek. The silence was deafening. "Well, I know one thing, I hate the fact that I couldn't defend myself against that asswipe," Roxas said, wincing as he sat up. Sora, leaning against Riku, smiled, despite the pain it caused him to do so. "We need to lay off the sea-salt ice cream, Rox," he joked. Everyone laughed, though halfheartedly, and the tense atmosphere relaxed. I leaned my head against the wall and closed my eyes. It felt as though all my nerves were tensed like coiled springs, ready to snap at the slightest amount of pressure. "Are you alright, Ven?" Vanitas asked softly. I peeked an eye open and glanced over at him. He seemed just as stressed as I was. "I'm...well, I can't say that I'm alright. Can you?" I asked, a little sharper than intended. He didn't flinch, as I expected him to; he simply shook his head. Vanitas looked around the bathroom and a small smile tugged at the corners of his lips. I gazed at him, curious and confused. What was there to be happy about? He seemed to sense me watching him for he looked down at me. "This is surprisingly nice, despite everything that just happened," he said, his voice only loud enough for me to hear. Before I got the chance to respond, Aqua suddenly sat up with a jolt. "What? Aqua, what is it?" Terra asked. Her blue eyes swept over each individual person and stopped on me. "We...we all showed who we really are. We weren't the way the school wants us to be. In other words, all eight of us...," she trailed off. I gasped and felt my blood grow cold. "We broke character. We're...social outcasts," I whispered.

A/N: Ahhh, finished. Whew! I made this one longer. Yay! Thanks for all the feedback and support, everyone! Talk to you next chapter!


	8. Something's Wrong

A/N: *hangs head in shame* don't hate me. Disclaimer: I do not own kingdom hearts.

A stiff, tense atmosphere covered the room as my words sunk in. Aqua covered her mouth with the back of her hand and squeezed her eyes shut. "Oh my god, what are we going to do?" Sora whispered. I flinched at the amount of fear in his trembling voice. Riku held him closer, blinking in stunned shock. Everyone was in a silent panic, especially Terra; the poor guy had started shaking. "We do nothing," Roxas said. We all looked at him in disbelief. "What? What do you mean do nothing?" Axel spoke up. I felt a glimmer of surprise; that was the first time I'd heard him speak. Roxas glanced up and was abnormally calm, though his eyes were hard. "We pretend like nothing happened. Stay in character as long as possible. If we all act the way the school wants us too, it will be seen as an apology. No one will get hurt," he explained flatly. All eyes turned on him and Roxas met each gaze steadily.

While the others nervously nodded in agreement, I could only stare at him, my head swimming. Roxas refused to look at me and stood up. "We should start by getting out of the bathroom. The school closes in five minutes," he said, glancing halfheartedly at the clock on the wall. I felt a brief glimmer of surprise; we had been hiding for eight hours already? There was a brief silence then Sora spoke up. "Won't people see us?" he said. I shut my eyes tightly and tried to calm the sudden jolt of anger in my chest. "Of course. But we have a greater chance of them not seeing us if we go out the back entrance," Roxas said. I sat stiffly as the rest of the group got to their feet. The others were looking at Roxas now like he was some sort of savior. It pissed me off. 'He doesn't even have to go into character! He doesn't understand,' I thought, wanting desperately to say it out loud.

A pale hand came into my line of vision and I looked up, startled. "Come on, Ven," Vanitas said. I glanced around and realized that we had been left behind. I felt as though there were glass shards caught in my throat. I looked away as I took his outstretched hand and I let him help me to my feet. I stayed quiet as we caught up with the rest of the group. "Ventus, is something wrong? You seem...I don't know...tense," Vanitas asked. My jaw clenched and unclenched. "Does it look like I'm okay?" I hissed. Vanitas flinched only slightly. "Well, what's bugging you?" he questioned, placing a hand on my arm to pull me to a halt. I turned to glare at him, then froze. His face held the same expression as it had when we were getting the suitcases. '_Damn it, he did nothing wrong. Stop being such a douche!' _I scolded myself. I sighed and looked up at the ceiling. "I'm sorry for snapping. I'm just...I'm a little pissed off at the moment. You didn't do anything wrong," I said. I could hear the exhaustion in my voice and shook my head.

He let his hand slide from my arm and let it fall limply to hang at his side. The skin covering my arm tingled. "Uh, here. I usually mess around with the charm and it calms me down when I feel stressed out. Maybe it will help you, too," Vanitas said handing me a small bracelet. I studied it and ran my fingers over the charm. It looked a little like a heart with an 'X' through it. I smiled shyly at Vanitas and thanked him. He simply nodded and we hurried to catch up with the others. I slipped the bracelet into my pocket and found myself staring at the back of Roxas' head as he walked beside his partner. He just seemed so confident, so sure of himself. My anger roared through me once more. _'Well, why shouldn't he? He has no worries,' _I thought bitterly. I stopped mid-step; everyone had stopped walking. The group was quiet for a moment. "We should probably get home now," Aqua said softly. I glanced at her and immediately felt guilty; I was so busy focusing on my childish anger towards Roxas instead of noticing my best friend's state of mind. Hell, from the look of things, everyone looked exactly like she did: tired, depressed, worried, and, most of all, fearful.

"Ven?" I looked up and realized that Roxas had asked me something. I swallowed my anger. "What?" I asked. My brother stepped closer to me and took my hand. "We need to go back to Dad's place. Are you up to it?" he said. An involuntary shudder went down my spine. I gulped and clenched my jaw, despite my fear. There was no way I was going to let my little brother see that I was afraid. "Sure. What do we need there?" I asked. Roxas, who had been so confident before, suddenly looked vulnerable. It made my heart ache. My anger faded away almost instantly. "I remember that I have something in my room that I need to get. It's important. I won't be able to sleep without it," he whispered in my ear. I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion, but I didn't question him. I felt a small nudge on the small of my back and glanced behind me. Vanitas looked back at me in concern. I smiled a little in reassurance. "I'll be home soon, okay?" I said. He still seemed concerned but nodded regardless. I followed my brother as the group dispersed, each of my friends going in separate directions. Roxas didn't speak as we climbed the inclined sidewalk towards our house. "Hey, are you okay? I didn't get a chance to ask you," I blurted. My brother turned his face towards me and my eyes widened as I saw the damage that Seifer had caused. His right eye was swollen shut and had turned an ugly purple color. His lip was split in two places and a long cut went up the side of his left cheek. The skin covering majority of his face was black and blue with fist-shaped bruises.

"Oh my god, Rox, I'm so sorry," I breathed, tugging him into a hug. He hesitated for a moment then hugged me back. "I'm an awful big brother. I should have been there for you, to protect you," I said, my chest heavy with emotion. Roxas made a muffled noise and his fingers gripped the back of my jacket. "D-don't apologize. You couldn't have known that this was going to happen," he mumbled. I squeezed my eyes shut and bit my lip; he sounded like he was about to cry. "Besides, you had it worse than me," he said. I frowned in confusion and pulled away slightly. Roxas looked up at me, a knowing look in his eyes. "You really think that I don't know Dad beat you?" he asked. I glanced away and started walking again. Roxas followed and gazed at me expectantly. "You shouldn't worry about me. I'm fine," I said. Roxas huffed a laugh without humor. "You're not fine. No one is," he said flatly. It made me cringe a little, hearing how bitter my brother sounded.

"I know about what happened, Ven. I know that you stood up to Dad so I wouldn't have to face his wrath," he continued, "If anyone should be saying sorry, it's me. I haven't been the best brother in the world either. While you were off getting beaten nearly to death, I was...," he trailed off. I watched a blush creep into his cheeks and put two and two together. Despite the melancholy atmosphere, my eyebrows flew up and I had to try to stifle my grin. "You and Axel?" I asked. Roxas spluttered and turned his face away, which had gone beat red. I couldn't help it; I burst out laughing. The mood lightened considerably, to my relief. My brother covered his face and shoved my shoulder. "Oh, shut up! You're so embarrassing," he said flustered. I swung an arm over his shoulders and pulled him against me. "I never would have thought that you would get with the redhead," I teased. Roxas groaned and hung his head in defeat. "Dammit, there goes the whole moment. I didn't think that I was going to like him, but shit happened," he muttered. I waggled my eyebrows at him suggestively and, when he tried to respond, he ended up choking on his own spit.

I threw my head back and laughed. '_I've missed laughing with him,' _I thought. "Well, what about you?" Roxas snapped. I furrowed my brows and looked at him in mild confusion. "What about me?" I said. Roxas pursed his lips and just stared at me pointedly. "You obviously have something going on with that goth guy," he said. My face went hot, much to his satisfaction. "W-what are you talking about? I do not have something going on with him. He's just my partner," I said, waving it off like it was nothing. Roxas started laughing and I realized that he was doing exactly what I'd been doing a moment ago. '_Little brat,' _I thought affectionately. "His name is Vanitas, by the way, not 'goth guy'," I said. My brother raised his eyebrows and grinned like a cat. "Oh, forgive me, you have a thing going on with Vanitas," he said, drawing out the name. I frowned and stuck my tongue out at him. "I do not!" He grinned for a moment longer then became serious. "So, be honest. Are you two a thing?" he asked. I scratched the back of my neck in embarrassment and sighed. "Nah. It's just some mild flirting and small moments, that's all. I'm not going to get my hopes up. It's not like he'll ever like someone like me," I said. Shit, even I could hear the sadness in my voice.

I cleared my throat and focused on the sidewalk. "And you? How serious are you and Axel?" I asked, trying to steer the attention away from me. Roxas was silently staring at me, his eyebrows slightly furrowed. I clicked my tongue and pointed to our house. "Looks like Dad isn't home. Let's just hurry and get what we need and get out before he gets home," I said. Roxas nodded slowly in agreement, the look of concerned worry still etched in his expression. I walked a little bit faster and hopped up the steps to the porch. I frowned and stepped away from a large pile of newspapers that were stacked in a heap against the front door. I glanced at the mailbox and saw that it was nearly overflowing with mail. Without thinking, I tugged the mail out and stuck it under my armpit. I reached into my pocket to pull out my keys, but I stopped when Roxas grabbed my jacket sleeve. "Make sure that he isn't in there first," he said quietly. I clenched my jaw and peered into the front window.

The house, dimly lit by the sunlight, seemed to be empty. I couldn't really be sure, however, since the windows held a considerable amount of grime on their panes. I pulled away and wiped off the dirt from my hands on my jeans. Nervously, I gulped and reached into my pocket again. "There doesn't look like anyone is home. We just need to be really, really quiet, just in case," I muttered as I took my keys out my pocket. I tried to put the house key into the lock, but my hand was shaking so badly it just clinked against it. I didn't want Roxas to know that I was just as scared as he was; it would only make matters worse. I was the older brother and it was my responsibility to protect my little brother. With this thought in mind, I forced my hand to steady enough to get the key in the lock successfully. I nonchalantly looked over at him and found that he was looking around skittishly, not paying any attention to me. I sighed in relief and opened the door. Roxas took a deep breath and followed behind me into our house. I immediately gagged; there was an overwhelming scent of alcohol and trash. I lifted my shirt to my nose and glared around at the awful mess of a living room. Brown and green beer bottles, some broken and some half full, littered the floor, coffee table, and end tables. At least twenty cartons of empty Chinese food were scattered every which where, along with a variety of dirty laundry. I took a small step forward and had to avoid a mysterious stain that covered about a quarter of the rug. A flash of rage warmed my skin; our mother had made that rug. I heard a barely disguised snort of disgust from Roxas and knew that he had thought the same thing.

As we made our way through the living room, I found myself noticing more things that were out of the ordinary. Not only was it freezing cold, but there was also a thin layer of dust covering the surfaces of the tables and counters. The lamp that usually sat on the end table was broken on the floor, its bulb shattered. In fact, a lot of our things were thrown all over the room, either broken or close to it. It didn't make any sense to me. _'We haven't been gone that long, have we? What the hell could have happened in a few days?_' I thought incredulously. Shaking my head, I placed the mail down on the island in the kitchen and stared at the fridge. The door was ajar and the light inside it was flickering in an almost eerie manner. "Holy-!" Roxas exclaimed before covering his mouth and nose with his hands. I mimicked him; the smell was worse than the one in the living room. It was like rotting meat and sour milk. I reached inside and pulled out a carton of milk. I tugged it open and gagged. I hurriedly went to the sink and dumped out its contents. Chunks of moldy milk hit the bottom of the sink with sickening splats. "That's so gross," I groaned, throwing the carton into the trashcan, which was close to overflowing.

I shut the refrigerator door and began sifting through the pile of mail. "Bills...bills...spam...coupons...," I mumbled, pausing. I held up a thick envelope and looked over at Roxas in surprise. He peered over my shoulder at the letter and his eyebrows flew up to his hairline. "Dad is seeing a shrink?" he said incredulously. I nodded and frowned down at the envelope. "If by seeing you mean sleeping around with, then yeah, he's seeing a shrink," I said, examining the other side of the letter. A fancy symbol looped around the back of the envelope. I took a pen and traced the symbol on the palm of my hand impulsively. "What's that for?" Roxas asked. I shrugged, not taking my eyes off the envelope. There was something about it that...freaked me out. "I'm going to look more into this when I get back to Vanitas," I explained. Roxas seemed worried but didn't question me, for which I was grateful. I stood staring at the envelope, trying to wrap my head around what the stupid thing meant. Roxas tugged at my jacket and gestured for the stairs. "Come on, we don't have time to figure things out right now," he said. I didn't respond; I simply followed him up the stairs into his room, the gears in my mind turning. _'What has happened since we've been gone?' _I thought. What did Dad do? I glanced down at the slightly smudged symbol on my hand. For some reason, it registered as something important that I had seen somewhere before. I just couldn't remember for the life of me how it was familiar. Roxas rushed into his room and threw himself onto his bed with a sigh of contentment.

"I've missed my bed," he murmured happily as he snuggled with his pillow. I chuckled and lightly punched the back of his leg. "Hey, dork, are you done making out with your bed? What did you need to get?" I joked. Roxas scoffed and sat up, a thick binder in his hands. I tilted my head and sat next to him. "What's this?" I asked. Roxas smiled and opened the cover gently, as though it was fragile and would break at any second. I peered down at the binder's contents and felt as if I'd been punched in the stomach. "Mom," I said softly. Photos of our mother filled the pages of the binder, each one at a different angle. I took in her glossy brown hair, fixed in her usual braid and pink bow. Her green eyes glowing with love and amusement with having her picture taken. Her smile lit up her face and made the knot in my heart loosen. It was as if, just by seeing her smile, everything was going to be alright again. I couldn't help but choke out a small laugh; she had had that effect on everyone around her. "Remember when I had that phase where I wanted to be a photographer? I saved every photo I ever took of her in here," Roxas said happily. The corner of my mouth quirked up at the memories. Roxas had been about six when Mom had given him a camera for his birthday. He had been so excited and had taken her picture right then and there.

'_She looks so...happy and warm_,' I thought. As I stared at the pictures, my chest and throat tightened and tears pricked at the corners of my eyes. She would never be like that again. I would never be able to see her smile at me, never hug her close and smell her flowery scent, never be able to hear her say that she loved me. It was all because of Dad, because he couldn't control his temper. No matter how hard I tried, the memory of that say was burned into my mind. It had been a particularly rainy day and Mom, Roxas, and I were in the kitchen making pancakes. It was our tradition, to make breakfast for dinner on really stormy nights. We all had batter on our faces and shirts because we tried and failed to flip the pancakes like they did in the cooking shows. Despite the mess, we enjoyed it. That is, until Dad came home. As soon as we heard the front door slam, our smiles fell. Dad had come through the kitchen door and had thrown a fit about the mess. Mom went to him and tried to explain the mess with laughter in her voice. He wasn't buying it and had taken her by the arms. Roxas, who had ran to get his camera, came in at the wrong moment. Dad turned on him and snatched the camera out of my brother's hands. Roxas, who was only six years old, didn't understand and reached for it. Dad reared back to hit him and Mom, threw herself over Roxas. The camera came down and it struck the back of her head. I remember screaming as I watched her slump over Roxas' petrified form. Dad dropped the camera, shattering it into pieces. I had run to her and started shaking her, shouting for her to wake up. Dad had run away, saying it wasn't his fault. I could almost feel the slowly cooling of her skin as I held her.

I shoved the memory out of my consciousness, tears dripping onto the backs of my hands. I sniffled and my brother glanced at me in concern. "Dude, are you crying?" he asked. I turned away and wiped at my eyes. "It's nothing," I said, my voice thick. Roxas closed the binder and set it down beside him. Without a word, he wrapped his arms around me and hugged me, resting his head on my shoulder. As much as I appreciated the embrace, it just made me want to cry harder. I swallowed hard and kept my face out of his line of sight. After a few minutes, I cleared my throat and turned back to face him once I'd composed myself. "Alright, you got what you needed. Let's go before-," I said breaking off by a noise downstairs. Roxas and I stared at each other, panic-stricken; the noise was the sound of the front door opening and closing again. Dad was home.

A/N: This was a really long wait. I hope you all still want to continue reading. I've had some crap happening lately and I haven't really had the chance to write. I'll try to update sooner. I'm already working on the next chapter. Please, even though I probably don't deserve it, review and take a peek at my other stories, too. I'm also looking for suggestions and ideas for future chapters or for any story you all want. Send me a PM and I'll message you back asap. Ciao!~


	9. Lost and Found

A/N: Thanks for the support, everyone! Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts.

Roxas and I both tensed up. Roxas' hand was gripping the binder tightly enough to turn his knuckles white. "Oh no," Roxas whispered. I shushed him and slipped the binder into my backpack. "Grab anything else you might want or need and put it in your backpack. Hurry!" I whispered fiercely. Roxas, his eyes big, quickly and quietly began stuffing things into his backpack. My entire body was on high alert. I hid in the doorway, listening to the shuffling downstairs. "Ventus, how are we going to get out of here?" Roxas whispered fearfully. I hesitated, licking my lips nervously. I hadn't thought that far ahead. "I don't know yet. I'm still trying to figure that part out," I replied under my breath. Roxas groaned softly in frustration and peered over my shoulder.

"Is he still down there?" he muttered. I nodded, my eyes set intently on the staircase. There was a sudden shout and a crash. Roxas jumped and he knocked down the lamp on his desk in the process. It clattered to the floor loudly. We both froze, our eyes fixated on the fallen lamp in horror. "What was that?" said Dad's voice. Roxas was nearly hyperventilating in my ear. "Shit!" I breathed, grabbing Roxas' hand. As quickly and silently as I could manage, I hurried into the bathroom, dragging my brother along with me. I shut the door behind us, risking being slow to keep the lock quiet as it clicked into place. "Ven, this way, hurry," Roxas hissed, swinging his leg up to climb through the bathroom window. There was the sound of thundering steps as Dad came up the stairs to investigate the noise. My heart was thudding rapidly and my palms were coated in cool sweat.

"C'mon, Ven," Roxas mumbled. He held out his hand for me to grab. I was just about to take his hand, when Dad roared, "WHO IS IN MY HOUSE?!" Panicking, I shoved Roxas through the window and scrunched myself as small as I could between the sink and the toilet, wincing as the action tugged at my ribs. The bathroom door began to rattle and Roxas looked down at me, panic-stricken. I waved him to go on without me and, reluctantly, he ducked his head back out. The door suddenly burst open and Roxas froze. Dad stood there, his eyes blazing. "You! What are you doing back here?" he shouted, stomping over to the window. Roxas scrambled out of reach and avoided our father's reaching hands. He scurried like a squirrel out of my view on the small patch of roof the window was installed into. "Get back here!" Dad yelled, his hands grabbing at the air frantically. With an annoyed grunt, he spun to leave. I sat there, frozen and petrified. Without looking at me, Dad made his way to the stairs. I don't know what I was thinking as I extracted myself from my hiding spot and rushed after him.

My bruised body was throbbing and practically screaming at me for jostling it around so much. Dad had turned at the noises I made and, the moment his eyes met mine, I lunged. Using every ounce of my body strength, I hurled myself at him, knocking him and myself down the stairs. The wood of the stairs bumped and scraped at my limbs and sore ribs, but at that moment, I was filled with adrenaline and could feel nothing. I heard yelling and realized that it was me- it was my battle cry. We tumbled down the fifteen steps, rolling over one another. Dad's hands flailed then went still as his head struck one of the steps. We landed on the hardwood floor with a tremendous thud. My eyes were practically rolling into my head and I had to close them to get over the massive case of dizziness and fatigue that had accompanied my fall. I shoved Dad off me and took in a deep breath. He...didn't move. I nudged him with my foot, but he didn't respond. I bit my lip and rolled him over onto his back. Dad's eyes were closed and he appeared to be breathing.

I breathed a sigh of relief- it was more a gust of breath that abruptly burst from my lips- and quickly got to my feet. I didn't want to be here when he woke up. Grabbing my fallen backpack, I ran as fast as my legs would allow out the front door, slipping a little on the rug. The door slammed behind me as I rushed onto the porch. My knee buckled under me and I stumbled down the stairs onto the sidewalk. Panting, I looked around for Roxas. I heard running steps behind me and felt the hairs on the back of my neck stand up on end. '_Oh no, you've got to be kidding me. He was knocked out! How did he get up so fast?_' I thought. There would be no time for me to try to run away; I was trapped. I squeezed my eyes shut and waited for Dad to kill me. "Why the hell are you just standing there? Run, you dumbass!" Roxas shouted, grabbing my arm as he ran past me. I staggered but managed to regain my footing to keep up with him.

As we ran, I looked back and watched our house slowly vanish from view. The thought that I could never return there safely made my heart ache. Roxas pulled me into Axel's front yard and up onto the porch, knocking on the door frantically. I bent over, my hands on my knees, to catch my breath. Axel's door swung open and the redhead himself was the one who answered. Poor Roxas didn't get a chance to speak for Axel had already pulled him into a crushing embrace, smushing my brother's face against his chest. There was something about the action that made me feel a sense of accomplishment; I had gotten my brother in and out of that damn place in one piece and back to the people who loved him most. I was just straightening up when I was abruptly pulled into an embrace of my own. Strong arms held me close, tightening ever so slightly, and black spikes brushed against my cheek. The smell of hickory smoke and the nighttime wind engulfed my senses and I practically melted. "Are you okay? Did he hurt you?" Vanitas asked softly. I shook my head and wrapped my arms around him, my fingers lightly gripping his long-sleeved shirt. "You're going to catch a cold if you stay out here much longer," I murmured. I felt his chuckle rather than heard it. "I'm pretty warm at the moment," he murmured in response, his lips brushing the shell of my ear.

I smiled, but a part of me was afraid he was going to feel just how fast my heart was pounding from being so close. Vanitas was the first to pull away, his cheeks pink. "I-uh-ahem, I'm glad that you came back alright. I was worried," he said shyly. My own cheeks were warm from embarrassment. I glanced behind him and saw Roxas and Axel watching us in amusement. My blush spread to my ears. "What the hell are you staring at?" I said. Roxas laughed and put his hand on my shoulder. "Nothing, Ven, don't worry about it. Thanks for going with me to Dad's. I know that must have sucked," he said. I grinned at him and ruffled his hair. He snatched my hand away, pouting. "What are big brothers for?" I said, chuckling. Vanitas and I waved goodbye and began walking to his house.

"Say, why were you at Axel's house? I figured that you'd have gone home," I said. Vanitas cleared his throat and shoved his hands in his pockets. "I told you I was worried. The last time you went over there, he...," he trailed off, turning his head away. I caught his angered expression beforehand and looked down at my shoes. He remembered that? '_Of course he remembers that, you dolt! He's the one who took care of you after you collapsed on his doorstep. Or do you not remember?_' my subconscious snapped. I stopped walking and, without thinking, put a hand on Vanitas' shoulder. He halted and turned to me, surprised. "I-I never really got the chance to thank you...you know, for patching me up after I came back. That was...um...very sweet of you," I stammered. Vanitas held my gaze steadily, his golden stare burning with some intense emotion I couldn't quite place. '_Shit, did I say the wrong thing? Did I take it too far by calling him sweet?_' I though, panicking a little internally. My whole face burned in embarrassment.

I hesitantly began walking again, breathing out harshly as I heard his calm steps as he caught up. "What about you, Vanitas? How come your parents are so mean to you?" I blurted. Oh, no. I hadn't meant to say that out loud. I mentally cringed. '_Crap, crap, crap. He's going to hate me now. You fucked up! Abort, abort!'_ my subconscious yelled. I opened my mouth to take back my questions, but the look on Vanitas' face immediately shut me up. "It wasn't always bad," he said softly, "There was even a time where my parents never fought. They were happy and everything was great. But, like everything else in my life, it didn't last very long. About three years ago, Mom had a miscarriage. She didn't talk, eat, or sleep for days. It was as if she was...lost. She lost her job, so Dad had to take up two. Despite that, money got really tight and we were evicted from our old house because of it." My eyebrows furrowed as I listened intently. My heart was pounding so wildly, it was a wonder that I could hear at all; Vanitas was opening up to me. He seemed bemused by my reaction and took out a cigarette from his pocket. As he lit it up, I watched the light of the flame reflect in his eyes, turning them into more of a reddish orange than a gold. It was beautiful, like watching a sunset.

Vanitas inhaled deeply and blew out smoke from slightly parted lips. The tendrils of the smoke curled and swayed in front of his face, almost as though they were dancing. "The only reason we are in the house we have now," he continued, "is because Dad had an affair with some rich doctor who felt sorry for him. Long story short, Mom found out, shit got real, Dad fucked up by defending the doctor. They've been fighting ever since." We reached his house and sat down on the steps. The sun had just began to set, its rays sending golden warmth over us. I looked over at Vanitas and found him staring down at his shadow, the cigarette hanging in his teeth. "It's not that they were necessarily mean to me," he said suddenly, "It's just that...they ignored me." He glanced over at me and looked back down again. "Is that when you...you started cutting yourself?" I asked quietly. He chuckled, a bitter and dry sound. "It was as though I wasn't even there anymore. The only time they ever really noticed me was if I interrupted their fights or if someone called them, like school. It got worse when Xion left. She was my only escape, my sister and friend. When she left for college, I dunno I guess I...," he said, scuffing the tip of his sneaker on the step, "I didn't want to exist anymore. Like, I thought that there was no real reason for me to be here."

Vanitas fiddled with the cigarette a little then tossed it to the ground. I watched as he crushed it beneath his sneaker. "Let's-uh...go inside. It's getting cold," he said gruffly. I nodded and didn't say anything as I followed Vanitas into the house. As we went upstairs, I found myself staring at Vanitas' back. '_He's gone through so much. I just never understood until now. Here I thought I had it bad. I want to help, but how can you help someone who is just as lost as you?'_ I thought. My cold skin sent a shiver down my spine and I shuddered. "Are you cold, too?" Vanitas said, stopping in front of the thermostat. When I nodded, he glared at the numbers on the digital thermometer. "No fucking wonder. This stupid thing is busted again," he said tapping at it. He sighed and went into his bedroom. I hesitated a moment by his doorway then went into the guest room. The house was colder than it was outside, which was saying something since it was September, almost October. Shivering, I went to my suitcase, rummaging through my clothes for something warm to wear.

I pulled out my over-sized gray hoodie and slipped it over my head. The sleeves came down passed my knuckles, warming my freezing hands. I has taken off my shoes at the door downstairs, so my feet were in thin socks on hardwood floors; they were as cold as ice cubes. Frantically, I pulled aside some more clothes and found the wool socks Aqua had knitted for me one Christmas. '_Thank goodness,'_ I thought, tugging them on. I shut my suitcase and climbed under the big, poofy comforter. "Thanks, Xion," I mumbled, burying my face into the pillow. I must have dozed off for, when I opened my eyes, the clock by my bed said 8:30. I groaned and threw an arm over my eyes. I nearly bit my tongue at the sudden knocking at the guest room door. It opened and I could see the outline of black spikes. "Ven? Are you awake?" Vanitas whispered. I nodded then, realizing that he couldn't see me, sat up. "Yeah, I'm awake. What's- holy fuck, it's cold in here!" I said as the air hit me. It felt as though I was the Antarctic. "I-I kn-know, the therm-therm- thermostat is broken," Vanitas said, his teeth chattering.

He came into my room and closed the door behind him. He wasted no time in getting under the covers with me. Blushing, I scooted over to give him more room. I pulled the heavy comforter over us and snuggled down against the warm sheets. Vanitas, cold and shivering, pulled me close to him. "I'm sorry, V-Ven, but I'm freezing. I feel like I might die," he said. I understood, but he was making me cold again. I shifted a little and felt something wet fall onto my hand. What? I blinked hard and saw Vanitas wipe at his eyes with the back of his hand. My heart ached. "Hey, are you...are you crying?" I whispered. Vanitas sniffed and shook his head. "N-no, of course not," he mumbled. I could hear the thickness in his voice and knew he was lying. _Fuck it_. I pulled his cold body as close to me as I possibly could and even wrapped my leg around his. His arm went under mine and rested against my back, his fingers lightly brushing the back of my neck. Our foreheads were inches apart and our noses touched just barely. I opened my eyes- I hadn't realized I'd closed them- and saw Vanitas' looking at me.

I was thankful for the darkness that hid the flaming blush that spread all the way up to my ears. "I think this is the closest I've ever been to someone," I whispered. My eyes widened and I mentally smacked myself. '_God dammit, Ventus, you are the dorkiest person alive! Think before you speak!'_ I scolded myself. Vanitas laughed and the knot of panic in my chest disappear. "Same here," he murmured. I chuckled nervously. I felt the phantom wetness on the back of my hand and impulsively brought my hand up to his cheek. "Why are you crying, Vanitas?" I whispered. He shivered a little and sniffled. "I'm not crying. It's just so damn cold that my eyes started leaking," he muttered. I rolled my eyes and couldn't help the small smile that tugged up the corners of my mouth. "You're ridiculous, just tell me," I said softly. I could feel the shift in his face as he smiled. "I can't get anything without you noticing, huh?" he said. I heard the hint of amusement in his voice and grinned. "Nope, now tell me what's wrong," I said. He sighed then was quiet for a moment. I was beginning to think that I had overstepped my boundaries when he sniffled again. "I had a dream that Xion never came home," he said softly.

I hugged him a bit tighter and he looked up at me. "She isn't going anywhere, Vanitas. Don't worry," I said in what I hope was a soothing voice. Vanitas was silent then his body relaxed. Suddenly, he pressed closer to me, our lips brushing a little. "Ven...can I kiss you again?" Vanitas asked. My heart thudded hard and fast in my chest. '_He wants to...? Does that mean he doesn't regret the first time?_' I thought. I was filled with a burst of courage and, without saying a word, I pressed my lips against Vanitas'. His lips were slightly chapped from the cool weather, but they were warm and seemed to conform to mine almost perfectly. I closed my eyes and moved the last couple of inches closer to him, deepening the kiss. His tongue softly slid against mine, making quiet, wet noises. His breath tasted like toothpaste and smoke. In the back of my mind, I prayed that my breath wasn't bad; I had forgotten to brush my teeth before bed. '_What if I taste bad? He's going to be disgusted by me_,' I thought worriedly. My skin jumped as Vanitas' hand brushed against my side. I felt his lips curl up into a small smile.

His fingers tangles themselves in my hair while his opposite hand slid deftly up my hoodie. His palm felt smooth against my heated skin, causing me to shiver. "You're so warm, Ven," Vanitas mumbled against my lips. I gasped and felt as though my heart had jumped into my mouth; the sound of his voice so close to me had sent a cascade of shivers down my spine. '_Oh my fuck_,' I thought. My abdomen tingled and a rush of heat shot down between my thighs. Vanitas' hand caressed my stomach, my sides, my ribs, and lightly brushed over my chest. One of his fingers grazed my nipple and my breathing hitched as the sensation sent a jolt to my crotch. He froze and moved away. "Oh my god, I am so sorry," he said, mortified. As he quickly pulled his hand from my hoodie, I felt a rush of dismay. _'What? No! Don't stop!_' I thought. Without thinking, I grabbed his hand. "D-don't...please don't stop. I told you that it doesn't bother me," I said. Vanitas inhaled sharply as I kissed his fingers hesitantly. "Are you...sure? One hundred percent?" he asked. I bit my lip at the vulnerability in his voice. There was no point in prolonging the agony anymore. '_Just fucking tell him!'_ I thought. I took a deep breath.

"I really like you, Vanitas."

A/N: I hoped you enjoyed this chapter! Review if you wanna, I look forward to reading them with each new chapter. :3 Next chapter is in the works! Ciao!~


	10. A Moment of Release

A/N: Warning: this chapter may cause feels. Prepare yourself before continuing. Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts.

Vanitas pulled away abruptly and my stomach knotted up painfully. My muscles felt stiff and I laid there, frozen in panic. '_I knew I shouldn't have told him_,' I thought. Vanitas sat up and put his head in his hands. I was silent for a moment, watching him as my heart slowly began to hurt. I cautiously sat up and turned on the lamp. The yellow light glowed brightly and stretched across the blanket warmly. Vanitas' shoulders were shaking and he was breathing deeply through his nose, as though he was trying to calm himself down. "I'm sorry," I said automatically. He startled me when he whipped his head around and stared at me. "What the hell are you sorry for?!" he shouted. I visibly flinched and he bit his lip hard. "No, I-I didn't mean that," he started, reaching for me. Instinctively, I shied away from him and curled my arms to my chest. To my dismay, a flash of fear accompanied my panicked reaction. Vanitas noticed the look in my eyes and it was his turn to flinch. He let his hand drop into his lap, a conflicted expression contorting his face. "What I meant was that there is no need for you to be sorry, Ventus. It isn't your fault. It's mine," he said.

I could only stared at him, my eyebrows furrowed and my limbs heavy. A thick lump had formed in my throat and it was getting harder to breathe. Cold sweat broke out in small dots along my forehead and down my spine. '_You need to calm down. He isn't Dad. It's just Vanitas. You need to pay attention to what he is saying_,' I told myself. "I like you, too, just so you know. B-but I didn't think you'd like me back. I mean, how could you?" he said bitterly. The tips of my fingers felt numb and tingly, like the pins and needles sensation. I tried to understand what he was saying to me, but I just couldn't wrap my head around it. What could he mean by that? '_What does he think is so wrong about him that he thinks no one will like him?'_

Not even a second after the thought had passed through my mind, my subconscious quipped up. '_Hmph, well, aren't you a hypocrite?' _My chest tightened and I had to force myself to stifle a heavy sigh. Vanitas swallowed hard and looked down at his trembling hands. "There are things about me, Ventus...things that I don't want you to be exposed to. It would kill me to have you see the things that I've done to myself or the things I've thought about doing. It's painful, living each day...being me. I know that it sounds like I'm being self-piteous, but I'm not. I can't get out of bed in the morning sometimes because I always think what's the point? Have you ever just stared up at the ceiling for hours on end? Your eyes begin to burn because you don't have the fucking motivation to close them. You think about everything that has happened and any emotion you feel...maximizes. I hate myself and think that I'm at fault for everything that happens. It's maddening and I can't stop it..not even if I want to," he said, his voice fading into a cracked whisper.

I longed to tell him that I understood, that I knew what he was going through, but I knew that it would be false reassurance; I didn't know Vanitas' thoughts. I had no clue what the hell he went through internally every damn day. Sure, I could empathize and say that I had similar feelings when it came to my own life, but I could never truly say that I know how he feels. "Vanitas, I'm not sure if it will help, but will you let me be there for you?" I asked quietly. Vanitas looked over at me in confusion, his eyes dulled and glassy. I waited patiently, keeping my hands on my lap. He was silently watching me, similar to an abused dog looking up at its master. "Please, I know that I can't help you and that I can't make your depression go away, but I want to be there as much as you need me to. I wanna try to bring something good into your life," I said.

In the back of my mind, I realized that I was sort of asking him out but, at that moment, I didn't care about embarrassing myself; I wanted so badly to just hug him as hard as I could, but even I knew that that wouldn't end well, not to mention it would make Vanitas feel worse. After what seemed like forever, he exhaled a shaky breath and placed a timid hand on the blanket by my leg. I stayed still, except for when I opened my arms a little as an invitation. Vanitas, very slowly, pulled himself over to me and collapsed against my chest, as though he didn't have enough strength to move anymore. I carefully leaned back against the headboard with Vanitas' face pressed into my collarbone, his arms curling against my stomach. He leaned his head on my shoulder, his black spikes brushing on my cheek.

"Cry. Scream. Do whatever you need to," I murmured softly. Vanitas tensed and lifted his head. He gazed up at me with his somber golden stare, his lower lip trembling slightly. I watched the clear liquid fill and gloss over his pupil. The tears did not fall or rather were being prevented from doing so. "It's alright, Vanitas. You can lean on me." My voice wavered and sounded thick, even to my ears. Vanitas' breath hitched in his throat, his stomach heaved, and a sob burst through. He went to cover his mouth, but, acting impulsively, I grasped his hand in mine and kissed it as tenderly as I could.

The tears overflowed and streamed in dancing rivulets down his pale cheeks. His face contorted and he clenched his teeth as though he was trying to hold back his emotions. "Don't repress them- release them. There is no one else here but me and you," I whispered, "Do you trust me?" Vanitas took in a raspy breath and another sob burst through. Then, a muffled cry, that would haunt my dreams, exploded from his lips; it was a scream so filled with raw anguish and agony that it made my eyes spill torrents of tears. His frame shook violently as he half sobbed, half screamed into my collarbone.

I rubbed his back and rocked gently from side to side. My hoodie was being soaked in salty tears, but I wasn't too concerned about it. The cold air nipped at the wet skin of my neck, but I clenched my teeth and bore it. My complete focus was on the anguished boy in my arms; there were no words that could clearly describe how broken my heart was. If I had to compare it to something, I'd say it was like some unseen force had ripped it down the middle abruptly and proceeded to not only slam it with a sledgehammer but also throw it in a wood-chipper. I hardly noticed my tears running like miniature rivers down my cheek; I hadn't even gotten the usual prickling sensation in my nose. They just...silently fell, without any warning.

Vanitas' sobs were quieting down a little and his body had deduced the violent tremors to a mild shaking. I brought a hand up and entangled my fingers in his hair. As gently as I could, I carefully made a petting motion which seemed to calm him down considerably. My spine was beginning to throb from staying rigid for so long, but I forced myself to ignore it. I rolled my neck a little to relieve some of the tension as Vanitas exhaled deeply, his breath shaky and wet-sounding. He had stopped shaking and now was just quietly crying with his head leaning on my shoulder. I had ceased rubbing his back and was just softly stroking his hair, trying my best to soothe him.

We stayed in that position for what seemed to be an hour until he finally pulled away. He swallowed hard and wiped the excess tears off his cheeks. "Thanks, Ven. You were right, I-I needed that," he murmured. I was about to say something but stopped when his lips twitched a little into a smile. "What?" I asked. Vanitas brought his hand to my cheek and used his thumb to wipe away a stray tear. "You are all snotty and gross," he said, a hint of amusement in his voice. I couldn't help but smile slightly in response. "So are you," I said, my voice cracking. Vanitas choked out a tiny, almost lifeless chuckle and grabbed my hand. He pulled gently and I followed him off of my bed and into the bathroom, trying my best to ignore the cold. He flicked on the light and we both flinched in unison from its sudden brightness. Vanitas reached under the sink and took out two clean washcloths, one light blue and the other a dull yellow. Carefully, he wet the light blue one under the tap, rung it out, and timidly brought it to my right eye. Once I realized what he was doing, I closed my eyes and leaned into the cool dampness of the washcloth. Using his thumb, he ran the rough texture of the washcloth over my eyes, cheeks, chin, and nose with the utmost of care. It hurt when the pressure of his fingers pressed against my still sore facial bruises and I winced slightly.

"Sorry," he mumbled. When his palm brushed against my lips, I kissed it, eliciting a small sound of surprise from Vanitas. Once he had finished, I took the pale yellow cloth and mimicked him, taking extra care around his swollen eyes and nearly raw nose. While I cleared away the sorrow of the night from Vanitas' face, I contemplated the words he'd spoken before his breakdown. As much as he insisted that there was no reason for me to like him, I could make a list a mile long maybe more of why I liked him. It didn't bother me that Vanitas wasn't perfect; I loved him anyway.

My heart jumped at the realization. I loved Vanitas- or at least I thought I did. He was watching me as I brushed the clean part of the cloth over his lips. "What are you thinking about?" he murmured. I placed the washcloth into the sink and placed my hands on his shoulders, my thumbs rubbing against his collarbone. He shut his eyes and brought his hands over mine to grip them tightly. I leaned over and kissed his eyelids, ignoring the salty taste left on my lips. I moved to his forehead, both cheeks, his chin, and the tip of his nose, kissing each gently. "Everything," I mumbled. There was no way I could tell him, not yet; I had already embarrassed myself to the brink of implosion. '_Maybe someday_,' I thought.

Vanitas opened his eyes and gazed at me with such intensity, it made my chest flutter. His eyes never left mine as he leaned down and pressed his lips to the corner of my mouth. I lightly moved my head so that his lips were against mine and felt him smile. It was a soft, tender kiss that had no rush or urgency to it; it was as if we had all the time in the world. His lips were smooth with small chapped areas that scraped against the scab of my split lip. His breath was warm and tasted like salt, smoke, and mint. A sense of adrenaline seemed to fill me with each escaped gasp as we tilted our faces to gain better access. The action caused our mouths to conform together like puzzle pieces. Vanitas' fingers lightly played with the sensitive hairs on the nape of my neck, making me shiver, and his other hand was rubbing tiny circles on my lower back. My arms wrapped around him, my hands pressed against his shoulder blades.

I hesitated a moment then gripped at his shirt, the cloth bunching around my fingers. Vanitas pulled me closer until we were pressed flush against one another and deepened the kiss by sliding his tongue into my mouth. He did so softy, but it still made a tingle run down my spine. I couldn't stop the quiet whimper that quipped up from the back of my throat as our tongues slid gently together. I felt the faintest of flutters against my shut eyelids and realized that Vanitas must have finally closed his eyes. His hands glided against the smooth skin of my hips then bumped up along my ribs softly.

My own hands brushed down his back, my fingers tracing and bumping along his spine. The clock in the hallway quietly chimed ten times. Reluctantly, I pulled away and grasped his hand. "We should go to bed, it's late," I whispered tugging only slightly. Vanitas took in a deep, shuddering breath and nodded in agreement, turning off the light. He paused for a moment outside Xion's room and noticed the door was opened. He hesitantly peered inside then the muscles in his shoulders relaxed. I looked at him in silent question and he just smiled. '_That must mean that Xion is here, safe and sound_,' I thought.

The stiffness in my shoulders instantly melted away as I breathed a sigh of relief. We went back to the bed and sat on its edge for a few minutes. "Ventus," Vanitas said suddenly. I jumped a little, startled by him abruptly saying my name. I watched a worry appear between his brows as he took the bottom edge of his shirt in his fingers. He hesitated for a moment, his golden gaze flicking from me back to the floor. "I want to...I want to show them to you," he said. Before he could move another muscle, I stopped him by putting my hands over his. From what he was saying earlier, I didn't want him to feel as if he was forced into doing something that made him uncomfortable. "You don't have to, if you don't want to," I whispered.

Vanitas clenched his jaw and swallowed hard. He moved my hands away and lifted his shirt up and over his head. As he pulled off his shirt and dropped it onto the comforter, I stifled my gasp with my hand over my mouth. "Oh," I breathed. Deep, crisscrossed scars were engraved into his arms, some looking fresher than others. Tears pricked at the corners of my eyes and I forced myself to blink them away; there had been enough crying for one night. Each scar was different; some were a dark brown color, almost black, or diagonal while others were straight across. Some had scabs or had tiny beads of bright red blood; some scars were deeper than others and there were a few that looked like they had needed stitches at some point. There were also those that were thin white lines, bright against his pale skin. My heart ached so miserably, I had to clench my teeth to stop the horrified gasp that almost erupted from me.

"Why do you do this?" I asked in a voice no louder than a low whisper. Vanitas' face twisted and he held his arms out in front of him. He stared at them with mixed emotions and bit his lip. "I know. They're awful to look at. But, the blood and the feeling of pain...it makes it all just...melt away. I don't have to worry about anything when I do it. It comforts me, makes me feel a sense of security," he said. I shook my head and he squeezed his eyes shut. His lips thinned and the corners of his eyes pinched up, making his face shift into a pained expression. "You don't understand," he breathed, the hurt clear in his tone. I swallowed hard and put my hand on his knee. Vanitas' eyes flew open and he gazed back at me. "You're right. I can't possibly understand, Vanitas. I know that...it takes the pain away, but do you remember what I said?" I said. Vanitas glanced away and nodded. "You're talking about the two strongest emotions that someone could feel, right? How love is...is more powerful than pain," he mumbled.

He shook his head at me and looked back at me with a panicked expression. "Ven, I don't think that I-," I cut him off by kissing him chastely on the cheek. He blinked at me and I tried to smile. "We are like two broken off pieces of glass that are close to shattering. If you cut too deep one day, you'll break. If I get hit a little too hard, I might just turn to dust. So, in order to protect one another, I think maybe our two halves need to join together," I said. Vanitas raised his eyebrows and the embarrassment that I had been trying to ignore rose up in my chest and made my heart thud a little faster. I peeked up at him through my lashes and smiled shyly. "So, what do you say, Vanitas? Wanna be whole with me?" He blushed and the corner of his mouth quirked up. He was quiet for a moment then huffed a small laugh. "That was quite possibly the most romantic way to ask someone out I've ever heard," he teased. I spluttered, my face flaming hot, and was searching for a response when he took my wrists in his hands and kissed me, lightly pushing me onto my back.

The blanket scrunched under me, tapping against my cheek. "I agree, Ven. You and I will have to join together to be whole," Vanitas whispered. I caught the hidden meaning and flushed red all the way to my ears. With those words alone, my entire body seemed to tingle with anticipation. If I couldn't feel my heart beating rapidly against my ribs, I'd swear it was in my mouth. Suddenly, Vanitas gave an enormous yawn and glanced at the clock. "But maybe not tonight. I don't know about you, but I'm freezing and sleep sounds pretty good right about now," he mumbled.

Despite my disappointment, I agreed with him; my feet felt like they were going to fall off from the cold. I went to click off the light but paused a moment. I could feel Vanitas' eyes on me, watching curiously. I squeezed my eyes shut and, before I could wuss out, I pulled the hoodie and my shirt off in one quick motion. My ribs throbbed painfully for a moment then the burning sensation of pain ceased. I heard a sharp breath behind me and felt my cheeks heat up. The cold smacked against my bare skin and I instinctively wanted to curl my arms around myself. Instead, I pulled the poofy blanket back and settled against the sheets. I caught Vanitas' gaze and froze in place. He was looking at the aftermath of Dad's beating.

Realizing that he was staring, Vanitas tore his eyes away from the purple shiners on my skin. "I'm sorry, it's just that I...I hadn't seen all of what he'd done to you," he said. I raised my eyebrows sadly and looked down at the light blue sheets. Vanitas climbed in next to me and I clicked off the light. He pulled me to him and I curled against his chest, my forehead pressed against his sternum. My hair brushed against his arm and a pang jolted through my heart. '_I hope I can convince him to stop. I don't want...,' _I thought before I shook my head. I wouldn't think about that; there was no way I was going to let that happen. "Goodnight, Ven," Vanitas murmured sleepily. I sighed a little and pressed a small kiss against his skin. "Goodnight, Vanitas," I said. I shut my eyes, but instead of dreaming, I was swallowed into darkness.

I was awoken by the smell of bacon and instantly my mouth began to water. Despite the glorious smell, I felt too lazy to move my body and snuggled down into the warmth of the blanket. "Oi! Get your ass out of bed. We have crap to do today," said a voice in my ear. I felt my forehead crinkle up in confusion and peeked an eye open. Bright blue eyes stared down at me from under black bangs. "Xion?" I mumbled. She nodded and, without warning, ripped the blanket off of me. As soon as the cold air hit my skin, I yelped and curled up into a ball. "Come on, kitten, everyone is waiting downstairs," Xion said impatiently, shaking my leg. I frowned and sat up groggily. "What are you talking about? Who is everyone?" I muttered, my voice still thick with sleep.

Xion took one look at me and burst out into a cackle of a laugh. I rubbed at my eyes and arched an eyebrow at her. "Oh my god, that's priceless. I have to tell them," Xion snickered, hurrying out of the room. Too sleepy to bother with her random strangeness, I sighed and pulled myself out of bed. At some point during the night, I had slipped my hoodie back on. It kept me warm as I shuffled into the bathroom. I heard the muffled noises of voices downstairs and could feel my confusion and curiousity grow. Without even glancing in the mirror, I quickly relieved myself and went into the hallway. My feet tingled with each step for they were still "waking up". Trying to ignore the pins and needles sensation in my toes, I sluggishly made my way down the stairs.

The voices hushed as I neared the living room. My eyebrows furrowed and I stifled a yawn. I heard a snicker and then the whole room was filled with guffaws and giggles. I blinked blurrily and noticed that all of my friends, including Roxas and Xion, were staring at me and were laughing. "Well, good morning, Sleeping Beauty," Xion giggled. I frowned again, which caused more laughter. "What is so funny?" I mumbled, slightly disgruntled.

A/N: I'm sure you were expecting this to go in a completely different way. I wanted to get the fact that even though Ven confessed his feelings, it didn't make Vanitas' depression just up and disappear. That's not how it works. I hope that you all got that when you were reading. Thank you so much for all of your support. To tell you all the truth, you've helped me through some tough times this year. The rising view count, the wonderful reviews, and all of you adding this story and even me as an author to your favorites...you have brought smile after smile to my face and I thank you for that. For each one of my readers and followers, I love you and if you are going through something right now, then let me be your Ventus and make you feel better. Even if it is for a moment.


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